Reunion
by Aurelianella
Summary: When Joker comes to Jump City in a mad scheme to bring Robin home to Gotham, a reign of terror unlike anything they've ever seen before sweeps the city. Robin goes off the grid to meet his past head on, and it's up to Starfire to unravel the clues he's left behind to get to him in time to save him from his old enemy.
1. Chapter 1

I sat on a park bench licking at a mint-flavored ice cream cone drizzled with mustard. I was waiting for Beast Boy to see how many times he could ride the Twisted Twister double-loop roller coaster before he vomited. He was currently on his fifth ride. I didn't mind waiting. It gave me an opportunity to watch the other carnival goers. Cyborg was busy entering a hotdog-eating contest, and Raven was wandering near the haunted house to soak in the emotions there, but we had agreed that the changeling should not be left on his own unsupervised for too long. Robin said he would meet us later once he finished filing our latest case. I hoped he would hurry.

"Is that Starfire?"

I looked up to see a group of five teenagers staring at her. I smiled waved shyly. I did not get up from my seat as they approached, even though it felt rude to stare up at them. From experience I knew I would tower over them and that made most humans uncomfortable.

"Wow, it's so cool to meet you. I'm Britney," said the shorter of the two girls with her hair pulled back in a tight blond ponytail. "Where are the other Titans?" She looked around quickly as if I was the one in need of constant supervision.

"They are in the vicinity," I informed her with a smile. The five teens blinked at my choice of words, making me cringe inwardly. Humans are so strange with their language. Why have so many words with such precise meanings if they only used a small fraction of them in their everyday speech?

"So...any chance we can get a picture?" the other girl asked, brushing her straight brown hair behind her ear as she held up her intelligent phone. I stood up in agreement and as expected the youths' eyes widened when they realized I was over six foot tall. The tallest boy was on eye level with my nose. He gave me a lopsided grin while Britney grabbed a passerby to take the picture. The five of them assembled around me. I had to suppress a giggle when I realized that each of them were trying to imitate a specific Titan's pose. Britney held up her fists like she was preparing to fight, the brunette raised her hands like claws as if she was casting a spell. One of the boy's lifted his arm out in front like it had a sonic cannon attached to it, the smallest boy posed like a monkey scratching himself, and the tallest boy stood beside me casually. I stretched out my arms to pull them all closer so we could fit in the frame, and at my touch on his back, the tall one slid his arm around my waist.

"Wow, thanks Starfire. You're the coolest!" Britney squealed after she'd retrieved her phone from the stranger. It had taken four attempts before they were all satisfied with the final photo.

"So what are you doing?" asked the brunette named Chelsea. "You're just sitting here by yourself?"

"I am waiting for Beast Boy to conclude the testing of his gastrointestinal fortitude on the coaster that rolls."

Their faces glazed over as they tried to decipher my words. Britney giggled behind her hands, and I cringed inwardly.

"Weren't you saying you wanted some cotton candy?" asked the tallest boy, stepping between Britney and me. I recognized the protective gesture as one that Robin often performed during our interviews when I misunderstood the questions that reporters asked. For some reason it was twice as embarrassing to have this stranger stand up for me than my leader.

Britney shrugged and started walking for the nearest concession stand.

"Thanks again, Starfire. You coming, Carl?"

"Yea, one sec." Carl hung back while his friends wandered away. I glanced around for some sign of Beast Boy.

"It's a surprise to see you out like this and not, you know, fighting crime. I suppose you don't get a lot of free time, do you? Always on call, huh?" He shuffled his feet as he spoke. I tilted my head to one side.

"I am not aware of any price placed upon my time, and I seldom have a need to use the telephone." Even as I said it I knew I was missing something. He grinned.

"I mean you probably don't have time for anything other than saving the world."

"Well, it is difficult to schedule recreational activities around our training schedules, patrols and the fighting of crime, but Robin believes it is important for us to take time for the 'chilling out'." At the mention of Robin, Carl's smile flickered.

"Robin seems like a pretty cool guy."

"Yes, he has most certainly earned his title of 'Boy Wonder'. Even on my planet he would be considered a great warrior for one so young."

"So, are you guys together?" he asked with a directness that took me off guard. I blinked rapidly in confusion.

"No." Robin was obviously nowhere to be seen. Though he could easily see this for himself, his face contorted with disbelief.

"Really?"

"He said perhaps later, but he told me not to do the waiting for him."

"Well in that case... Um, Starfire, would you be interested in maybe going out sometime?" He stammered the question so badly it took me a moment to understand what he was saying. When I understood, I smiled at his courage.

"Certainly. You seem very nice." His face flushed crimson and his teeth flashed white with relief. You would think I had proclaimed him Grand Ruler of Tamaran. He leaned toward me.

"How about tomorrow?" His excitement was a little overwhelming, but I did my best to be polite.

"Maybe tomorrow afternoon if no criminal activities occur that will require my attention."

"That'd be awesome!" He was practically glowing with excitement and I felt a stab of pity for him. Beast Boy had explained 'the fans' to me. I knew they put the Titans on a pedestal and were thrilled by even the slightest amount of our attention. My time was such a small thing if it brought him such happiness.

"I'll give you my number. You probably don't want to give out yours."

He leaned toward me to say the number into my ear as I pulled out my communicator. He was so close I could practically feel his cheek brushing against mine.

"Uh Starfire, is everything alright?"

We both looked around to see Robin standing at the other end of the park bench watching me with a peculiar expression on his face. His mouth was relaxed, but his eyes were fiercely alert. His body too was at odds with itself. Both hands were relaxed at his sides, but his shoulders were so tense I could see the definition of his biceps through his sleeves. I noticed that he deliberately kept from looking at Carl, which was strange.

"Everything is fine!" I assured him brightly to put him at ease. "Carl and I are going out and he wishes to give me his number."

To my surprise, Robin's eye twitched.

"You're going out? Since when?"

"Well, not until tomorrow," I replied pleasantly. "I am not certain where yet. I presume somewhere outdoors, yes?" I looked at Carl for confirmation and saw that he looked absolutely crestfallen.

"Oh, I thought you understood... I...maybe I should go."

"Carl, is it?" Robin stepped closer and held out his hand. "You don't have to go."

"My friends will be wondering where I am," he mumbled, slinking away. I wilted.

"Have I done something wrong?" I asked quietly as he slipped away across the fairgrounds. Robin came to stand beside me.

"You may or may not have broken that guy's heart." Robin flashed me a sympathetic look. "He thought you were agreeing to a date." His eyes fixed on my face as he said those words. Dismay gripped me and I clapped my hands to my cheeks.

"Oh! I did the leading on of him. I must apologize!"

"Maybe you should just let this one go," he suggested. "I don't know how going after him will make it better. Unless you _do_ want to go on a date with him?" He searched my face quickly.

"I have no desire to partake in the preliminary mating ritual with him. I assumed..." Robin stepped closer and touched my shoulder.

"Trust me, you're not the first person to make that mistake. Happens to us humans all the time."

That caught my attention. Did he speak from experience? I could not picture Robin making such a blunder. Robin was always so well-informed.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" he asked, taking an uncomfortable step back.

"I doubt you have ever found yourself in this predicament. You would not misinterpret another's intentions." He tugged at his collar.

"It happens more often than you'd think. Come on, let's grab some cotton candy." I had the impression he wanted to change the subject. I did not wish to let the topic go, but the thought of cotton candy persuaded me. Earth had such a large variety of candies. On Tamaran there was no such thing as sugar and even our tastiest berries would not be called 'sweet' by human standards.

"I should wait for Beast Boy," I remembered. Robin pulled out his communicator.

"Cy, when you're done eating link up with Beast Boy."

"I thought Starfire was watching him," I heard Cyborg say.

"Starfire's with me. He's riding roller coasters. He'll probably be at it all night."

"Oh okay. Starfire's with you... I got it." Some emotion dripped from Cyborg's voice that was unfamiliar to me. It was a blend of teasing and suspicion. I could not understand why our being together would be considered suspect. After all we did the hanging out together all the time. Robin didn't respond. He just rolled his eyes and ended the call.

"Is our case asleep now?" I asked as we weaved our way through the crowds.

"Huh?"

"You put it to bed, is that not the expression? I presume it is asleep now and that is why you are free to join us?" He grinned and reached back to catch my hand.

"Yes Star, it's all tucked in. To be honest, things have been kinda slow recently. I mean, it's been weeks since the last petty crime. I can't remember the last time we've gone this long without a burglary, not that I'm complaining," he added hastily.

"That is good. Perhaps our presence is making the difference."

"As much as I'd like to believe that, experience tells me otherwise. I don't know, it just gives me this _feeling_. It's like the calm before the storm." His hand tightened around mine with his conviction. Naturally, it didn't hurt, but it told me just how strongly he felt that something was off. I did not want to lose him to his brooding, and I gave his hand a little tug.

"Look, the thin plastic filled with helium!" I pointed to a woman in a red and black costume who was holding a large bouquet of red balloons in her hand. As I pointed, she pinched her lips together and stabbed a balloon with a long thin needle. It exploded so violently that her entire bouquet popped along with it. Green gas hung in the air. A nearby child burst into hysterical tears of fright. Then her mother's face began to run with tears. So did the family's beside them, and another group of teenagers'...

"Starfire, get in the air!" Robin shouted. I obeyed instinctively. He squeezed my hand as we rocketed ten feet into the air. Beneath us, I could see an ever-widening circle of people dropping to their knees as a soft green haze radiated from where the remains of the balloons had been dropped. Of the woman, there was no sight.

"Titans!" Robin brought out his communicator again, informing them rapidly what had occurred.

"It's Joker venom and it's spreading fast. Whatever you do don't breathe it in. Raven, try to get the infected out of here as fast as you can. Starfire and I are going after Harley."

"Who is Harley?" I asked when he was finished.

"She's Joker's girlfriend. I don't know what she's doing in Jump, but I don't like it. If she's here that means he might be too. We've got to find her."

But beneath us several more explosions went off as more balloons burst and more green gas filtered into the air. Even from our distance I felt my eyes begin to burn as if they'd been splashed with the juice of the _glembak_ berry.

"Robin, I cannot see..." I gritted my teeth as my eyes began to tingle painfully. Remembering that his human senses were more sensitive than mine, I rose several more feet into the air. I scrubbed at my eyes, but they were on fire. I shot of an eye beam, hoping to burn the residue from my eyes, but the added heat only intensified the pain. I shrieked.

"Star, put me down. I have the anti venom. I'll be all right. Fly to the harbor and rinse out your eyes. Just try not to breathe the gas in. I don't know what it will do to you."

"I should stay," I said, but it was unconvincing as water streamed down my cheeks. With no other choice, I closed my eyes and dipped low enough that he could let go without hurting himself on his landing. The added exposure only increased the pain I was in and quickly I flew off to do as he said.

"The whole park's knocked out," I heard Cyborg say over my communicator. "According to my readings this stuff is deadly."

"I can't move them without exposing myself to it," Raven chimed in. "It's too wide-spread."

"Dudes I can't even get close," added Beast Boy. His senses were even keener than mine and I could only imagine what the poison would do to him. I dove into the harbor, relishing the cold water on my face. Vigorously I scrubbed until the burning receded.

"I've spotted Harley!" Robin's voice crackled in and out. "I'm in pursuit. She's headed for the parking lot. I need backup!"

I think we were all stunned to hear him ask for assistance. Robin could easily manage most of Jump City's criminals by himself. He worked with us because it was easier than working alone. I knew nothing of this Harley woman, but I feared her if she was someone Robin did not dare face alone.

"I am en route," I said, taking to the air again.

"Starfire, no wait I-"

His communicator went dead.


	2. Chapter 2

When I got to the lot of parking, Robin was trading kicks with the woman in red. I hovered overhead, studying them and waiting for the opportunity to attack when I would not be the hindrance to Robin. He was magnificent when he fought. In all my years of training I have never come across a warrior who used his body to its full capabilities the way Robin does. Every part of his body became a weapon. His analytical mind kept him one step ahead of his opponents and gave his movements a sense of precision and control I envied. However, he and Harley had surprisingly similar fighting styles: flips, jumps, and kicks that required great flexibility and control, yet they flowed from one move to the next with ease. Because they were doing the dancing around, my starbolts were likely to do more harm than good. I might easily hit Robin by mistake. I could have flown down to aid him in close combat, but judging by how well she managed to deflect his strikes I suspected she was capable of using my strength and momentum against me. Robin was extremely adept at turning aside even my fully-powered punches and jabs during our sparring sessions, and I recognized that she employed similar techniques.

Flight is not as helpful as one would think against an opponent as versatile as Robin or Harley. They adapt too easily and as the Titans have a strict policy of not killing our enemies we are prevented from simply letting them fall. This means that in airborne combat I am forced to protect my opponent while I engage them. I must be sure to hold onto them, or to ensure they are not at risk of plummeting to their deaths, which is difficult to do when I am seeking a weakness that I can exploit to do the capturing of them. From what I could see, Harley did not appear to possess any superhuman abilities, and therefore Robin was better equipped to face her than I. But I stayed close nonetheless. My heart was still beating frantically from hearing his communicator cut out.

"Ooh, look at you gettin' all big and strong. Mista' J would be so proud if he was here to see you." Harley's voice had an unnatural nasal quality that was both irritating and disturbing. Robin somersaulted toward her, kicking her in the chest with both feet. Rather than hit the ground, she performed several springs of the hands, before wheeling the cart to a safer distance before attempting her next attack. All the while she smiled as if they were two children playing the innocent game of tag rather than two adults trying to serious harm each other.

"Hey! Is that any way to treat an old friend who just popped in to say hello?"

"Is that what this is?" Robin asked, flinging three birdarangs at her, "Because I thought you just poisoned a couple hundred people just to get my attention."

"You say poisoned, I say gave 'em a dose of the ole' medicine. Pa-tay-to, pa-tah-do... Didn't cha' see how happy they looked? If you ask me, it was a real gas!" She sprang for him, but Robin ducked, sweeping her legs out from underneath her. I dove, wrapping my arms around her ribcage and shooting her straight into the air. To my surprise, she giggled.

"Hi-yah toots! Been wondering when you'd tap in."

"Starfire! Let her go!"

I obeyed instantly, shocked by the command. Harley squealed with glee as she dropped through the air. Somehow she managed to catch a handful of my hair and used the momentum to swing herself up onto my shoulders, as if we played the game of poultry that Cyborg and Beast Boy played in the pool. Her legs tucked beneath my arms as she seated herself just behind my head, and I could not dislodge her.

A cable caught my foot and yanked me toward the ground. I nearly snapped it on instinct, but then a flash of red and green whirled past me, seizing Harley and dragging her off me.

"Raven, now!" he called.

She came in an explosion of black power. Her eyes glowed white and her signature raven climbed to the sky as she uttered her familiar incantation. _Azarath. Metrion. Zinthos. _Smoky black bands bound Harley's wrists, knees and ankles. Robin dropped her unceremoniously on the ground. She rose up on her knees, smiling up at the three of us with a child-like smile of absolute innocence. It was greatly disturbing and I took a step toward Robin. Who was this deranged creature? He stepped away from me as if I wasn't even there, and went to lightly touch Raven's arm in appreciation. I blinked. Harley's eyes snapped to my face and her painted red lips turned down in a pout.

"Aw sweetums, don't go fallin' for the bird brat. He don't know a good thing when he's got it. A'course, now I see why little red's been all down in the dumps lately. Us regular girls don't stand a chance with you high-powered bimbos walking around." I did not know the word 'bimbo' but it was obviously a crude insult because out of the corner of my eye I saw Robin's fists clench and the muscle of his jaw flex. Raven's expression became one of forced patience that she normally reserved for Beast Boy when he tried extra hard to salvage a joke that had done the falling flat. She broke her mantra just long enough to mutter, "Like that's ever gonna happen," before she picked up the spell again.

"I do not understand what you are trying to insinuate. I have the power of flight. Falling is not something I do on purpose or otherwise." Perhaps I understood a little of what she said, but I could not let her know just how much it hurt that Robin had not acknowledged my assistance in detaining her.

"Get back Starfire. Let me handle this." Robin caught my elbow and pulled me away from the insane woman. His voice was so distant that I glanced at Raven wondering what I had done to earn his displeasure. Her face was difficult to read because her eyes were still white with power and she was still murmuring her chant beneath her breath. To my surprise, Robin did not put the handcuffs he carried in his utility belt on Harley. Did he not realize that Raven could only maintain her bonds by focusing on them? Such things would not hold the criminal forever.

"Don't let 'im boss ya around like that. Makes 'im feel all smug and important. Look at 'im, puffin' out his chest like the B-man himself. 'less a'course you got it bad for 'im like I do for Mista J. Dontcha know I'd do anything just to see _him_ smile." Her eyes did the glazing over as she looked into the distance at nothing. I could not repress the shudder from passing over me, and I sensed Robin's discomfort as well, though he masked it behind his stern demeanor. It was more in the distance he kept. Deliberately, he began to circle around her.

"What are you doing here, Harley?" he asked, his voice deeper and more menacing than I was used to hearing. She blinked, coming back from whatever fantasy she had been indulging in, and smiled at him. I did not like her smile. I did not like the way her eyes traveled over his body with such familiarity.

"Ah, ah, ah Bird Boy. You don't wanna spoil the surprise now, do ya? Mista J's been working so hard getting everything all ready for ya."

"Getting what ready?" Robin's features grew sharp, and I realized that he was frightened. I had never seen real fear on his face before. There was the moments in combat when we worried for each other' safety, but this was different. This woman scared him. Or was it the other one she spoke of? The Mister J.

"Only the best for you. But your friends here aren't invited. Let 'er rip boys!" she called. Before we could turn, the crackle of gunfire rang out behind us. Raven let out a gasp of pain as a bullet pierced the left side of her chest. Her black energy exploded. Robin flung up his cloak to shield himself. I braced my hands in front of my face as the waves of power blasted me into the sky.

"Raven!" Harley laughed at Robin's cry. I looked down to see him gather Raven into his arms. His lips moved against her ear before they disappeared in a black portal. It closed immediately as more gunshots went off. He didn't even glance back to see that I was out of harm's way.

"See what I mean. Men are fickle, ain't they?" Harley called up to me. "But don't worry doll face. Me and the boy's ain't goin' nowhere."

There were more weapons trained on me than I anticipated. Seven men emerged from hiding places behind parked cars, each with a firearm pointed up at me where I made a very large target. They did the opening of fire upon me and I threw up a shield of green energy to protect myself. It was not fast enough because a bullet tore through my calf. The pain fed my anger, feeding the energy that formed my protective barrier. It was difficult to summon enough heat to burn the bullets before they could hit me, and it required much concentration to maintain my flight and fire with worry for Raven and confusion over Robin creeping into my thoughts.

"You might as well surrender. The boys and I got plenty of ammunition. We could be here all night."

My lip curled in a snarl as green power gathered behind my eyes.

"I surrender to no one."

The first starbolt struck the ground near Harley's feet, and she gave a satisfying squeak of fright. The men paused in their firing, giving me a clear view. A volley of starbolts flew from my hands. As angry as I was, I was careful not to use too much power. Even my low-energy beams can burn human flesh.

"Eight against one seemed like pretty uneven odds if you ask me. How 'bout we even the score a little bit?" Cyborg's voice was the most welcome sound I could imagine in that moment. A blue blast from his sonic cannon struck one of the cars they were hiding behind and the gunmen retreated. A green cheetah gave chase. Harley snatched the gun of machines from one of her companions and took aim at Beast Boy, who quickly morphed into something too small to be seen to avoid being hit. Harley scowled up at me as I melted the gun in her hands with a well-aimed starbolt.

"This ain't over yet, gorgeous. In fact, I promise you'll be seeing a lot of me real soon." She gave me a salute before jumping into the back of a nearby fan. I flew down to catch the bumper, thinking to keep it them from escaping, but a cloud of green gas erupted from the pipe that forms the vehicle's tail and my eyes and lungs were seared once more with the vicious poison. I screamed, covering my face with my hands as the van sped away. I could hear Harley's laughter disappearing into the night.


	3. Chapter 3

The direct contact of the toxin on my skin was beyond painful. I writhed and screamed, clawing at my face. I half-expected to feel my skin peeling from my bones that is how much it hurt. Beast Boy and Cyborg tried to sooth me. I needed water. I wanted to fly back to the harbor again, but I could not summon my flight while I was in so much agony.

"Starfire!" His voice sliced through the torment enough that I lifted my head, but I could not open my eyes. A stream of frigid water jetted into my face. Not expecting such a thing, I did the spluttering and flailing. Water ran up my nose, the runoff burned fiery paths down my cheeks, and the water sprayed continuously into my eyes.

"Enough!" I cried, batting at the water when at last the flames receded to a tolerable level. When at last I could see I found Robin kneeling beside me. His face was the color of the cheese of cottages. I wished to hug him in thanks for returning, but his expression was closed off and I held back.

"How did you return so quickly?" I asked. His eyes dropped momentarily to the spray bottle in his hand before jumping back to meet mine as if he was angry for betraying even that slight hesitation.

"Raven sent me back." The words were short, another sign that he was angry with himself. His behavior confused me. This was different than the single-minded ness he displayed with Slade. Tonight he seemed guilty and abnormally distracted considering we still had people to rescue. While Harley and her men had dispersed, nearly the entire grounds that are fair were afflicted with her Joker Venom. From what I had observed, on humans the effects led to a state of hysteria in addiction to the pain. Now that the battle had ended I could hear the distant screams that wavered between horror and hilarity. I shivered. Who would design such a thing? Robin looked over his shoulder at the entrance to the fair where a faint green haze still hung overhead.

"Cyborg, I've brought a sample of the antitoxin. I need you to take the T-car and distribute it to all of the hospitals. Beast Boy, you-"

"What happened to Raven?" Beast Boy interrupted. Robin's mouth closed so quickly I heard his teeth click together.

"Get back to the tower. Raven's been shot. She says she can heal herself, but she was in pretty bad shape."

"You mean you just left her there?" Beast Boy shouted. Robin hunched his shoulders and turned slight away from him.

"She didn't exactly give me much choice. Anyway, she's stabilized, but I want you there as fast as you can. I'll be back as soon as I can. Starfire, can you fly?" His hand shifted, as if he was about to touch my arm, but he thought better of it and rested a closed fist on his thigh instead. I shook my head. My body was channeling my green energy for regeneration. Already my limbs felt heavier as they prepared for a healing cycle once I allowed myself to rest. Robin winced.

"You'll ride back with me then." He did not sound pleased.

Doing my best to hide the hurt I felt over his behavior, I tried to stand and fell back with a cry. The bullet must have still been imbedded in my calf because the muscle had not healed enough to bear my weight, though sufficient time had passed to do so.

"Dude, she's been shot!"

"I can see that Beast Boy," said Robin through gritted teeth. His face was grim but his hands were gentle as he unzipped my purple boot enough to see the damage. Blood spilled over the bright leather as the wound was revealed, and I dug my fingers into the soil to keep from crying out.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Robin asked softly.

"I will be the okay once I have the chance to rest," I said with a confidence I did not feel. He did not believe me. With a glance at the other two he sent them off to complete their assigned tasks. Beast Boy glanced over his shoulder at me before transforming into a Peregrine falcon and soaring into the sky.

"You sure you're okay?" Cyborg asked as he tapped a sequence into the console on his arm.

"I'll take care of her," said Robin in that same strained voice. Cyborg did not get the chance to reply, for the T-car rolled up at that moment. He lifted me to a standing position so that Robin could slip beneath my arm before he climbed into his 'baby' and sped away.

"Why didn't you get out of there?" Robin asked, surprisingly.

"You wished for me to let them escape to do more harm?" That baffled me. I was a capable fighter and it was not in me to flee when I was able to stand and fight.

"You could have been killed. Obviously you're not bulletproof. What if Cyborg and Beast Boy hadn't come? What if they'd had more guns? You should have at least gotten out of range." His fingertips dug into the bare skin of my side as he supported me.

"If I was in mortal peril I would have extricated myself from the situation. As I said, it seemed preferable that they target me than be let loose on the public. I am not bulletproof but I am not defenseless." We had arrived at the R-cycle by now. Robin made to assist me, but I pulled away.

"Did I do something to upset you, Robin? You are behaving most strangely." He grimaced and glanced around quickly.

"I'll explain once we're back at the tower. Just get on Star, please?" I obeyed. What else could I do? My hands clutched at his chest as he took off with a roar. I could feel his heart slamming against his ribcage at a frantic pace. How had she done this to him? Why did he fear her?

I was dizzy with loss of blood by the time we pulled into the Tower's garage. My cheek rested against Robin's shoulder and my grip on his torso had grown dangerously slack. Even one more bump of speed would have dislodged me. Robin remained seated for a long moment. I felt his chest expand beneath my fingertips on a deep inhalation of breath. Then he moved quickly, swinging his leg off the bike and turning to pull me against him in a tight embrace. Weakly, I smiled. He smelled of sweat and hair gel.

"I'm sorry, Starfire."

"It is the okay, Robin. Injuries happen." My voice sounded far away even to my ears. I felt him pull me from the bike and cradle me against his chest. I am taller than Robin, and it is a little awkward when he does this. I did my best to curl my legs in so we could pass through the door and I pillowed my head against the muscles of his shoulder. His strength and scent surrounded me and I felt safe. I resisted the urge to giggle. Strange that he was the one to make feel that way when I am vastly more powerful. I must have made some noise because he looked down at me.

"Everything alright?"

"Yes Robin. We are safe and you are here. Everything is fine." A ripple of shock went through him. Though I made no secret of my feelings for him, I was normally not so bold in expressing them. I smiled apologetically. "Forgive me. I am feeling 'out of it,' yes?" I was rewarded with a chuckle. It is so difficult to make him laugh!

"Don't apologize. You are safe. I've got you. Go to sleep, Star."

I was on the verge of giving myself over to my healing cycle, when Beast Boy's cry of alarm jolted me awake.

"What took you so long? It's Raven! I don't know what's happening." Beast Boy met us in the common roof as we stepped off the elevator. His hair was standing straight up as if he'd been tugging on it in panic.

Robin's strength continuously impresses me. He ran with me all the way to the hospital bay. Not only am I taller than he is, but Tamaraneans are much heavier than humans. Our bodies are adapted to the harshest environments of space, and our bones are denser than the hollow bones humans possess. Our bodies can therefore withstand greater forces, but it also makes us dead weight. Robin bore me as if I weighed no more than a child.

When we got to the hospital room, Raven was levitating over her bed with long black tendrils of magic flailing in the air like the legs of a giant spider embedded in her chest. Four red eyes glowed on her forehead while her usually violet eyes blazed white with power.

"Dude, I don't think that's normal. Is that normal? It definitely doesn't look normal."

"Raven?" Robin called hesitantly from the doorway. His hands tightened around me, and I knew he was prepared to duck out of the way if one of those black tendrils hurled a projectile at us. Raven's powers were unpredictable when she was not in complete control. I admired the restraint she employed to control them. While at the same time I pitied her for never being able to truly express her feelings.

She lifted her head and looked at us for a long moment. It was terribly frightening and I knew she could sense our panic. She blinked and the red eyes disappeared.

"Removing the bullet is difficult enough without your fear distracting me." The red eyes returned, but I was able to breathe easier knowing that she was in control. Robin sighed in relief and glanced wryly at Beast Boy.

"You get first watch. I'd stand out in the hallway if I were you."

"Don't laugh, that's something straight out of Wicked Scary 3! I thought she was possessed!"

"Beast Boy!" Raven shouted. "If you don't want to star in your own personal installment of Wicked Scary you'll keep quiet."

"You've got this Beast Boy," Robin chuckled. "Raven, try not to kill him."

"I am not responsible for what my powers do while I am under duress," she said in a low, even voice. I giggled.

Robin took me to my room. We both decided the medical bay was too dangerous right now. There were first aid supplies in each of our rooms, and once the bullet was removed I would heal quickly. We went into the bathroom where he could lay me in the bathtub and rest my injured leg on the rim of the tub. Blood had crusted over my boot by now and it looked ghastly. The humor faded from his face, and he looked at mine. I smiled.

"Do not apologize again, Robin. It is nothing."

"You call this nothing?" His voice rose amusingly with disbelief. I smiled and leaned my head back against the edge of the tub behind me.

"When I was four I was speared by the tusk of a _glorganofk_. It is similar to your earthen boar. It nearly did the dismembering of me. By comparison, this is nothing." I closed my eyes, trusting him to do what was needed. His hands carefully unzipped my boot all the way down and slid it off my foot. I grunted at the discomfort, but sleep was coming for me again.

"There's something I need to explain...about earlier." Why must he choose now when I can barely keep my eyes open? Robin is not one to express his feelings freely, and one must take the opportunity to listen when it arises or it may not come again. With great effort I focused on his voice.

"Yes?"

"I know I seemed a little short with you earlier, but it was necessary."

"I was unaware that you are capable of controlling your height. You have always been short compared to me." I cracked open an eye, teasing him. He was not amused.

"Harley is dangerous. If she found out about you and me, that you're...that we're...best friends, she'll do everything she can to try and hurt you." He grimaced as if he wanted to say more but thought better of it. I do not know why the idea of our friendship pained him so. For me it was a treasure of incomparable worth, yet any time he mentioned our relationship it seemed to stick in his throat. He did not shy away from treating me as a friend. In truth he sought me out often to teach me various things about Earth's cultures, to recommend magazines and books that would increase my knowledge, or simply go flying with me or riding in the R-cycle. Such activities he reserved for me alone. Raven had no interest in riding the R-cycle, and although he played the games of videos with Beast Boy and Cyborg, he did not seek their company as he did mine. perhaps he viewed his preference for me as dependency, one that Harley might exploit. She would not, I vowed.

"She can't hurt me, Robin. She is only human."

"You're hurt right now," he pointed out grimly.

"You are more concerned than I am."

"I just thought you should be aware. Until she's behind bars I may act a little strangely around you, but it's to protect you and the team. I'm the one she came for. I'm not going to let her use you against me."

"Thank you for telling me," I said softly. "But do not let the criminals determine who you are and how you will behave. do not give them that much power over you..." I managed those last words before I fell into oblivion.


	4. Chapter 4

_...fire...star...Fire...STARFIRE!_

My eyes snapped open just as an explosion rocked the Tower. Glass flew everywhere. My bed pitched to one side and flung me into the air. Strong hands caught me and I saw the yellow lining of Robin's cape swirl around us as he shielded me from the debris.

"Yo, Rob. You've got company!" Cyborg's voice filled the silence. Waking a Tamaranean before a healing sleep is complete is no easy thing. It is extremely disorientating, and for a moment I thought I was back with the Scions. Their green energy experiments often ended in an explosion of body parts, as I had witnessed more times than I care to recount. Had it not been for the familiar scent of a particular brand of aftershave I might have lashed out instinctively to protect myself. As it was, I looked up to see masked eyes staring down at me, and the coiled tension in my chest eased. Robin had one arm behind my back to support me while he held his communicator in his free hand.

"Thanks, Cy. I noticed. How many are there?"

"It looks like three boats coming in from the south. You guys alright in there."

"Titans, report."

"Uh, what just happened?" Beast Boy asked meekly. I caught a glimpse of his uncertain features on Robin's communicator as I struggled to right myself.

"HEY, BIRD BRAIN!"

The call came from outside. Robin and I turned our heads in unison. Automatically my hands lit with a faint, green glow. Together, we crept to my shattered window and peeked out between the shreds in what had once been curtains in a glorious shade of purple. The three boats Cyborg spoke of were floating in the cove. A floodlight was mounted on the frontmost prow. It swept a haphazard arc over the tower as if the one controlling it had not yet figured out how to do so. Robin ducked back as the floodlight passed over my window. His mouth turned grim.

"YOU IN THERE BIRD BRAIN?" Harley's voice carried with surprising volume and clarity from the water. I sent a questioning glance at Robin, wondering how she accomplished it across such a distance. 'Megaphone,' he mouthed back. I did not know what the megaphone was, but I realized it was a mechanism that enabled us to hear her.

"Cy, how far out are you?"

"I'm almost to the tunnel. Why? You need help?"

"Beast Boy and I are the only two at full-strength. I have no idea what Raven's status is."

"And Star?"

"I am fine," I said loudly enough for him to hear. I did not like Robin to count me among the liabilities.

BANG! The Tower shuddered again, and Robin and I fell back onto the carpet at the sudden impact. I growled my frustration. This was my home. Harley would not take it from me.

"Christ, she's got a rocket launcher," Robin muttered to no one in particular. "Beast Boy, how's Raven?"

"She quit doing the weird floaty-thing, but she's out cold. Dude, if I try to move her she's liable to freak out on me and send me to another dimension."

"Cy's on his way. I'm sending him to you. I'll buy us some time." He closed the communicator and glanced at me.

"You up for a little target practice?"

"It will be my pleasure," I growled. Despite the strain in his face, he grinned.

"That's my girl." He said it so quietly I amnot certain he realized he spoke his thoughts aloud, but something in the possessive endearment warmed my heart like the sun on the Gormgraf Desert of my planet.

He waved a hand at me tell me to go ahead. Though we had never prepared for this scenario, I knew what was required of me. Flight came easily now, and I cast one last nod in his direction before leaving the room. I flew at full-speed through the Tower. Being as tall as I am, it is more difficult than it sounds to maneuver the tight corners without causing damage to the walls, but I am very agile! and within seconds I emerged on the roof. Cautiously I crept to the edge of the roof to look out. I saw the position of the three boats. Each craft had a dozen men armed with more guns and plenty if additional ammunition. I had only seconds to act before they were aware of me. Unfortunately I cannot engage my flight without also illuminating the green glow of my eyes and thereby give away my position.

I turned and flew in the opposite direction, circling around in a wide arc to come upon the boats from behind.

"We don't take housecalls after regular business hours," I heard Robin's magnified voice shout down to the boats. "Come back at a decent hour and try again."

"Don't bother getting the door for us, Bird Brain. We got that part ourselves." At the prow of Harley's ship was some form of cannon. It swiveled to fix on my bedroom window where Robin was illuminated by the floodlight trained upon him. He had one arm flung up to shield his eyes, but he had emerged to draw attention so that I could sneak up behind them.

I fired off three starbolts in rapid succession. They struck the boats just above the waterline. The crew whirled to face me and, having learned from our previous encounter, I quickly ducked out of range. From a distance I fired more starbolts, determined to sink the ships. The cannon rotated, trying to get the lock on me. I am not so easily caught however. A well-placed eye beam incinerated the weapon in a burst of green flames.

"All right, Starfire!" Robin yelled over my communicator. His pride made me bold. I brought my two hands together, formed a large starbolts, and flung it at the engine of Harley's boat. It caught fire, and the boat began to go down.

"Whatd'ya know boys, it looks like we'll just have to go ashore." Harley waved toward land and all of her men began jumping overboard. I hesitated. Had I miscalculated? More men spilled out from the lower decks, and soon at least forty criminals were storming our beach. I swooped low, hurling starbolts to drive them back into the harbor, but without ships they had nowhere to go but our shore. I swore a string of Tamaranean curses that I had not foreseen such an outcome.

to my extreme relief, the familiar sight of the T-car appeared, skidding toward the beach. The silver and blue vehicle fired rubber bullets at the invaders while I rained starbolts from above. Harley ducked behind a boulder, cradling a large wooden hammer against her chest like a child.

"I am most glad for your assistance," I called to Cyborg as he parked the car and began firing over her hood.

"You didn't think we'd come without a little backup did ya?" taunted Harley. "Gizmo, go!" At her command the errant boy who so often plagued us scuttled out from a hiding place near Harley's.

"Get a load of this crud sniffers!" He threw a small, silver circular device at Cyborg. I intercepted it, but my hands pressed the large red button on the top, and a shockwave rocked the island. Behind us, the Tower went dark.

"That little brat just fried the generator _and_ the backup generator!" Cyborg frantically tapped the consul on his arm. "Our defense systems are down." Gizmo flew over to where I hovered in midair, shocked by what had happened. He circled me, laughing and pointing as he hovered just beyond my reach.

"You are most annoying," I said through gritted teeth.

"Ooh, ouch. Like that really hurts. But this might." He pulled out a remote control and aimed it at the disc I still held. Electricity sizzled up my arms. It hurt, but it was nothing compared to what I had borne before. I crushed the disk in my fist and flung it at the airborn menace.

"What? No fair!" he howled.

"I would do the running if I were you," I said with a dangerous smile. he wheeled around and propelled himself away from me. The little propeller above his head whined as it reached its top speed. A starbolt struck his backpack and he cartwheeled through the air with a strangled yell. Cyborg ran to catch him before he hit the ground.

"Gotcha, you little-argh!" Cyborg twitched as sparks flew from his circuits.

"Suckers!" Gizmo jumped down fromCyborg's limp fingers and ran away. I flew down to find cyborg frozen. His red eye was extinguished, signifying that he was powered down. More shots were fired and I ducked behind his metal body to protect myself. Realizing that we had lost the field, I wrapped my arms around Cyborg's waist and flew us Onto the roof of the tower. I glanced back and seared a deep trench into the earth, giving them one more obstacle to overcome before they breached the tower. With our defenses down, they would have no trouble getting inside.

"Starfire, it's no use. Get to the escape tunnel. Raven and beast Boy are already down there," Robin ordered on my communicator.

"Cyborg is incapacitated. We will be needing his backup generator I believe."

"Get to the safe house. You'll find what you need there."

"You are not coming?" I skidded to a halt in midair. Robin could not face that horde alone. There were too many of them and they had firearms.

"I'll buy you enough time to get out. I'll be fine." He severed the connection, and I felt a weight settle on my chest as his voice echoed down the dark hallway.

There was an underground tunnel leading from the Tower to the mainland. As Robin had informed me, Beast Boy was already waiting for me with Raven floating wearily beside him. There were shadows beneath her eyes, but she appeared otherwise unharmed.

"What happened to him?" she asked, pointing at Cyborg. I shook my head.

"Gizmo did the de-powering of him. I am unsure how. Come, we must flee. Robin is giving us the time we need to make our escape." I did not tell them that I had endured this scenario once before in my life. The Psions had surrounded us and my brother RyAnd'r fell back so that my sister KomAnd'r and I could make our escape. I do not know what befell him that day. I know only that I have not seen him since. I refused to believe such a fate could happen to Robin. He was older and a more experienced warrior than my brother. He would come back to us. Robin always came back.

We made our way along the tunnel. Raven formed a silver disc to carry Cyborg for me to hasten our escape. We had nearly reached the other end when there was a rumble. We turned to see a great fireball rushing toward us.

"Go!" shouted Beast Boy. As fast as I could I gathered all three of my friends in my arms and flew for the end of the tunnel as fast as I could. Behind us, there was the crash of the tunnel's collapse as we burst into the cool air of the night. I set them down and spun in horror. Without the tunnel, Robin was trapped.

"Starfire!" Raven shouted.

"I must go to him. He will be captured."

"He planned this. He collapsed the tunnel. We need you here." Despite everything, Raven's voice was calm and I resented her for it. How could she be calm when Robin was trapped with those people? But she was right. My teammates needed me and Robin surely had a plan.

* * *

**A/N: a little bit of chaos to get things going. **


	5. Chapter 5

"He is not responding. We must return. What if he has been taken prisoner? What of he is hurt?" Memories from my previous life came back to me and the thought of Robin enduring such treatment was bringing me to the brink of hysteria. My friends did not seem to share my fears.

"It's Robin," said Beast Boy wearily. "He's gonna be fine. Besides, it's not like we're in shape to take her on right now anyway." Raven was sagging against him, permitting him to do the supporting of her. That alone was a sign of just how weary she was. Cyborg was still unresponsive, though Raven assured us that his human organs were still functioning, though if we did not find a way to recharge him soon even those processes would cease and his condition would become critical.

"I am not damaged. I can search for him," I suggested, looking frantically at the collapsed tunnel. What if he was trapped inside? What if he had not outrun the explosion?

"So you're just going to leave me here to carry both of them? Cy weighs a ton." Beast Boy pointed at our fallen comrade. I bit my lip and fidgeted. Surely he could transform into some animal capable of protecting the others until I returned. Surely it was more important that we locate our leader. But in the end I knew that it was unfair of me to leave Beast Boy alone. Robin had given us our orders and they must be carried out.

There are several of the houses of safety scattered around Jump City. Cyborg did the teasing of Robin when he first revealed them to us, calling him a 'paranoid, spikey-haired control freak', but none of us were laughing now as we typed in our individual passwords, endured the retinal scan, and stepped back as the brick wall exterior slid sideways to reveal a titanium door. The entrance for this particular hideout was concealed in a former restaurant with boarded up windows and a black and orange closed sign on the front. To help us remember their locations, Robin had hidden the entrance of each house in a location tailored to our distinct personalities. We chose to use Cyborg's, because his had more of his robotic equipment available for our use. Beast Boy's was on the outskirts of town in a cabin that had once belonged to a ranger of the forest. Raven's was a large, two-story house marked condemned. She cast a spell on the grounds that made people uneasy to keep the 'squatters' from taking refuge inside. I believe she enjoyed placing wards around the house to frighten unwanted visitors away. The location of my house of safety was strangely conspicuous. It was located on the top two floors of the Wayne Hotel. The glass dome on the top of the building concealed a greenhouse that doubled as a botanical garden. Robin informed me that it was built solely for the pleasure of the hotel's owner, who had designed the top two floors as a living space for himself before deciding to move elsewhere. Mr. Wayne had offered Robin full use of his penthouse as thanks for all he had done for the City of Gotham before he left. Strangely, the previous owner left all of his lavish furnishings, lending the space a royal air that was oddly perceptive of Robin to select for me, not that I cared about such things. I had chosen to hide that fact from my friends, yet occasionally I dreamed about the palaces of Tamaran where I grew up. For those few years it had been nice to be surrounded in luxury.

Robin's house of safety was surprising to us all. His was located in the fairgrounds inside the carousel. He never explained why he chose that for himself, and Beast Boy and Cyborg examined every inch of the structure for some clues. Perhaps they thought it would reveal his civilian identity. They never solved the mystery. We all kept secrets.

Once we entered the building, we proceeded to the back room where an elevator took us below ground to the true place of hiding. Raven immediately floated to the couch and closed her eyes. Beast Boy ran ahead of me to find a generator for Cyborg. I waited patiently while he searched, holding Cyborg out in front of me at arms' length. His bulky shape made it difficult to hold him against me.

"Is this it?" Beast Boy squeaked uncertainly, holding up a large, silver box. Not until I heard the catch in his voice did I realize that he was just as anxious as I was. With both Cyborg and Robin unavailable, that left him as the Titan with the most experience in the fighting of crime. While I have the most combat experience, my lack of understanding of human culture hinders me from being a reliable leader in these circumstances. Beast Boy does not enjoy the pressure of leadership. I suspect that he pretends to be more child-like than he naturally is to hide the burdens he carries from his past. As I said there are things each Titan hides from the others, and each of us hides them in our own way.

"Yes. That is the generator," I said quietly, smiling to reassure him. He relaxed visibly as we set to plugging Cyborg to the contraption. Almost at once the blue light of his systems came on, though it would be some time before he would be restored enough to speak.

"You should get some rest. I will take the first watch," I whispered as Beast Boy yawned. His ears drooped.

"Are you sure? I can stay up."

"Until Robin returns I will be unable to sleep. Besides, I have already conducted a healing cycle tonight. You have not." He seemed reluctant, but he agreed. Morphing into a green cat, he crossed to the couch and curled on the thick padding just behind Raven's head. Soon the gentle snores of the kitten could be heard. Only I remained awake, clutching my communicator in my hands and awaiting the beeping that indicated a message from our leader. How could the others remain so convinced that he was undamaged? He was the most vulnerable of all of us, even if he did not like to admit it. Guilt beat at me. I should not have left his side. I should have known he would do something reckless to protect us at the risk of himself. I knew Robin better than anyone...

Robin did not call.

Near dawn, the sirens started. Alert as I was, I picked up on the shrill noise before even Beast Boy's feline ears twitched. What more could Harley and her gang have done?

Our refuge was equipped with a television, radios, and a computer station similar to the one set up in our common room. I darted to turn on the television. I was unconcerned whether it woke the others or not. When I saw what was happening the remote fell from my hands.

Another cloud of the toxic green gas hung over the downtown area where black smoke billowed from one of the large scrapers of the sky. The minuscule people that had escaped the burning building writhed on the ground as the toxin took hold. The ribbon that ran at the bottom of the screen announced a shootout taking place on a different street corner and several more explosions happening on opposite ends of the city.

_'Where are the Teen _Titans?' The headline read.

"Oh it is awful," I murmured into my hand. Beast Boy lifted his head to see the screen and immediately reverted to his natural form.

"We must do something," I said.

"But Raven's still knocked out, and Cy..."

"If you cannot, then I will!" I could not bear it.

"Starfire, wait!" Beast Boy moved to block the door.

"What's going on?" mumbled Cyborg, sitting up. Beast Boy grinned with relief, but his expression turned grim once more.

"They're attacking the city. They've brought enough of that poison to knock out all of downtown. Raven's still healing, and Robin... Did you get any word from him?" His ears twitched hopefully. I shook my head, and he sighed. "Robin's MIA."

"Ugh, what'd that pipsqueak do to me?" Cyborg groaned, getting slowly to his feet.

"Fried your circuits, that's what. You've been nothing but dead weight for hours."

"When I get my hands on that little brat I'll-"

"Please," I interrupted, "the citizens need our assistance." They glanced at one another, but we already knew what must be done.

Even the news broadcast had not conveyed just how dire the situation was. In addition to the Venom, all of our city's criminals had joined forces with Harley's band. Cinderblock was on the east bridge smashing cars and hurling them at the water in a gruesome game of skipping stones. Mother Mae Eye and Mumbo Jumbo were afflicting the poor incapacitated people in the main square with their illusions and mind control. Even Killer Moth had joined ranks, leading another army of gigantic moths to attack anyone who fled into the streets.

We had no choice but to split up. Raven, weary though she was, bravely went to intercept Mumbo Jumbo and Mother Mae Eye. It was agreed under the circumstances that there would be no holding back. Beast Boy took on Killer Moth, Cyborg faced the gunmen, and I was free to unleash my full strength on Cinderblock.

As I flew toward him, he lifted a green automobile and hurled it toward me. I caught the car easily and sent it crashing back into him. He staggered and fell back with a roar of rage. I smiled. At last, an outlet to vent my frustration. He lumbered to his feet and glared at me. Green flames surrounded me as I shot high into the sky. When I unleashed the full force of my eye beams on his granite head, even I felt the heat of the blast. He stood no chance against me.

"Whoa, way to go Starfire!" Cyborg cheered over my communicator. "Now how about you help me teach these bozos a lesson on 23rd Street?"

"I must find Robin," I replied. It had been too long without word. With so much going on in the city he would never refrain from contacting us or fending off the attack unless he was seriously hurt or worse.

"Starfire, Robin can wait!" Cyborg shouted. I scowled.

"No he cannot. You must do the handling of it without me." Before he could reply, I flew back toward our island. Even from halfway across the harbor I could see that they had razed it to the ground. Smoke billowed from the remains of our once proud T. A haze of Joker Venom hung over the island.

"No," I moaned. Not a tree was left standing. When the tower fell it took everything down with it. If Robin had been there when it happened then he could not have survived. The pain of it was enough that I nearly plummeted to the water, losing control of my flight. Only by reminding myself that Harley had come to Jump City to bring Robin back to Gotham allowed me to regain my altitude. She would not come so far just to kill him. He might be captured, but somewhere he was still alive.

"Starfire, I'm being overrun. Get to 23rd Street now!"

The three remaining Titans were there by the time I arrived. Beast Boy charged at the gunmen as a rhinoceros, batting away the cars they were hiding behind so that Cyborg had a clear shot.

"HRRAGH!" I growled, firing starbolts at every enemy I saw. I gave it everything I had. How dare they take him from me. How dare they come to our city and destroy my home!

I was not yet fully healed from being shot earlier. Without fresh sunlight to replenish my stores of green energy I was weaker than I realized. Fatigued closed over me as I ceased firing. Cyborg whooped with victory as he gave chase to the fleeing criminals.

"We've got them in the run now!" Beast Boy ran after him but Raven hung back.

"Are you...?"

"I do not require assistance!" I did not mean to be short with her, but she understood. Silently she moved to follow the others as I fell back to sag against a brick wall. My head dropped forward so that my long red hair hung on either side of my face like the drapes. Against all my best efforts, the first sob shook my shoulders.

A hand grasped my wrist and I whirled on my attacker, starbolts raised. His mask was askew, and his uniform was badly torn so that I could see the fresh burn marks on his torso. He held a finger up to his lips to urge me to silence, but all I could do was wrap my arms around him and hold on as if my life depended on it.

"You are alive!" My voice shook with un she'd tears. He hissed with pain as my body came in contact with his fresh burns, but his arms came around me with equal force. I felt his hand against the back of my head, tangling in my hair.

"I didn't have a choice. They were in the Tower. If she found any of our secrets..."

"I do not care about the Tower. I thought you were dead!"

"I know, and I'm sorry. It was the only way. If Harley thinks I'm dead she'll stop looking for me. You see what she's capable of. I need to lead her back to Gotham."

"It is the okay. Now that you are back we will vanquish her as we have done the other criminals before." But he shook his head, brushing the hair back from my face as a gentle breeze blew.

"No Star. She doesn't want you, she wants me. She'll hurt the Titans to get to me. It's better if I just give her what she wants."

My eyes filled with horror.

"No, Robin, you cannot! Surrendering to a monster never brings peace! On the surface it seems a worthy sacrifice, but once you are broken and the people you fought to save have forgotten your sacrifice you realize that it was all for nothing. While you suffer they move on with their lives. Evil can never be anything other than what it is, and those who do evil willingly can never be reasoned with. Please, you must believe me!" He was frowning at me. Robin's mind is unlike any I have encountered on my travels through space. He can uncover even the most closely guarded secrets and see the truth from the most obscure clues. In his eyes I saw understanding now.

"Starfire...?" Pain softened his voice unbearably, and I shook my head violently against a swell of tears.

"You cannot surrender to her. I cannot stand by and watch you become a prisoner to someone like that."

"I'm not coming back with you," he whispered. "I just needed you to know that I'm all right. Don't worry about me." His hands slid away from me and he took a step back. Tears spilled down my cheeks as I silently begged him not to go. "I'll be in touch." He swallowed with apparent difficulty and I knew that he felt the pain of this parting as much as I did. That he had granted even a small concession to keep me informed of his safety spoke volumes. Once, he would have gone off alone and left the team and I to wonder. But he had grown as a teammate and leader and if I wished him to continue to trust us then I had to reward his trust with faith.

"Be safe, Robin," I whispered.

"You too, Star." Suddenly he reached out to grab my wrist again, pulled me close, and pressed his lips to my cheek in a feather-light touch. It startled me, but by the time I recovered, he had fired his grappling gun and was already up and over the nearest rooftop. I did not follow.

* * *

**A/N: I apologize for the various typos. I'm writing on my iPad and it doesn't always keep up with my fingers when I'm typing. **


	6. Chapter 6

**Robin's POV:**

Leaving her was harder than I'd imagined it would be. Just the sight of the tears in her eyes was almost enough to make me forget my plan and agree to go back with her, Harley be damned! And what she'd said, or hadn't said, about her past... How could she have kept something like that from me, from the team? Starfire a prisoner? A part of me insisted that I go back and demand to know what had happened. But the mission came first, and Starfire was entitled to her secrets just as I was bound to keep mine. Speaking of which...

The Titans have several safe houses located around Jump City. The Bat Family has several more. With Harley Quinn terrorizing my streets I needed a direct link to the Batcave, one I didn't have to worry about Cyborg or Beast Boy hacking later.

I chose the safe house located in an apartment building three blocks from downtown. It was close enough to what was happening for me to keep tabs on the action while giving me enough distance to be safe from another attack while I rested. God, my whole body hurt. The burns on my chest and back made it painful to move at all, let alone crawl through a thirteenth story window. Then there were the scrapes and bruises from the Tower collapsing on top of me. After making sure all the blinds were closed I flipped on a light and went to the bedroom to check my appearance in the dresser mirror.

I looked about as beat up as I felt. It was no wonder Starfire had been so worried. At the thought of her, my chest tightened, and quickly I pushed the thought to the back of my mind where it wouldn't trouble me anymore. I peeled off the remains of my body armor. The worst of the burns were across my back from when I'd tried to outrun the explosion. Blood and clear fluid stuck my shirt to my skin making it a bitch to strip off. I swore several times in the process.

The television screen blipped on, making me grateful that I hadn't started on my pants yet. With no way to hide the evidence of how my night was going, I looked up to see Batgirl staring at me in horror.

"Oh my gosh, are you all right?"

"Peachy," I said, rummaging around in the dresser for a first aid kit. Of course, turning my back only gave her a better view of the damage, but I wasn't ready to look her in the eye just yet. Being the only human on a super-powered team gave me weird hang ups about revealing my vulnerabilities.

"It's all over the news. We saw the Tower go down. Is everyone okay?" I sent a 'do you think I'd be standing here if my teammates were in trouble?' look over my shoulder and began winding medical gauze around my waist.

"What's Joker up to? Harley said he's planning something that's got to do with me."

"I don't know. Joker's been unusually quiet for the past few months."

"He's not the only one," I muttered, thinking back to the conversation I'd had with Starfire before this whole thing began. "He's been planning this for a while. I don't know how he got them to agree to join forces, but he's got most of the petty criminals here involved too. The Titans will have their hands full for weeks just trying to get them off the streets."

"Say the word and we'll be there." She smiled to back up the words, but I shook my head.

"This is my city. I don't need his help protecting it."

She threw up her hands.

"Oh get over yourself! This isn't about you and him. You've got a full-scale riot on your hands, your resources are gone, your team can barely put one fire out before another one springs up, and you don't look like you'll be up to much for at least a few days."

"Where is he?" I asked, ignoring her little rant. She thought because she was older that she knew better than me, but I've been fighting criminals since I was twelve years old. I already had Starfire worrying over me, I didn't need Barbara doing it too. Of course, she didn't like being ignored. Her glossy pink lips pinched in irritation and her green eyes narrowed, but she didn't intimidate me. I lived with Raven and Starfire. One's got a scowl that could make the Dark Knight check himself, and the other can snap me like a twig with her little finger.

"He's getting the Batplane ready," she said in a huff.

"And you're what, trying to stall for time so he can get it up in the air? He can't come. If Harley or one of her goons gets a glimpse of the Bat symbol all hell's going to break loose."

"You mean it hasn't already?"

"Since you've been keeping such close tabs on me tonight, maybe you saw that my team has everything under control? Raven took out two magically-inclined super-villains single-handedly, Cyborg stopped a shootout from killing half a dozen cops, and Beast Boy managed to turn Killer Moth's mutants back on him."

"I saw," she said a little stiffly. Babs wasn't a huge fan of the Titans, or rather, she wasn't a fan of me leaving Gotham to stay with the Titans. On one hand I understood why she was hurt by the decision, on the other, I'd been gone for almost three years and it was time for her to get over it. It was hard on our friendship when I couldn't mention my new teammates without her getting defensive. If I was dumb enough to bring up Starfire she straight up stopped talking to me altogether. I think she knew before Star and I did what was developing between us.

"Robin, at least let me send Alfred. You're not even bandaging yourself properly."

"All I want is for you to put him on the line."

"Ugh, fine. Batman, he's asking for you." She tapped her earpiece linking her with Bruce, and suddenly the image on my screen shifted to reveal the inside of the Batplane. Batman was fiddling with the overhead gauges, deliberately not looking at the camera. It was a power play, making me wait even half a second on him to be ready to speak to me.

"You called?"

"Don't come to Jump."

"One of my criminals is terrorizing your city. She's my responsibility."

"Ignoring the fact that she broke out on your watch in the first place, my team can handle this. You turning up is only going to make things worse." He stopped switching dials and finally looked at me directly. His narrowed eyes swept over me in instant appraisal and I knew he registered every injury. Stubbornly, I squared my shoulders despite the way it pulled at my burns.

"Batgirl's right. You're not even doctoring yourself properly." I was so used to him spying on me that it didn't occur to me to react that he had been listening in on my conversation with Babs.

"What does Joker want with me?"

"You think I know what goes on in that deranged mind?"

"I think it takes one to know one. Why are you making this so difficult? Innocent lives are at risk." The night's events were taking their toll on me and I was quickly losing patience.

"And yet when I offer to help you throw it back in my face." His expression was stoic, but his blue eyes were cold with disapproval. "What's your plan, Robin?"

"I'm going to lay low for a while. Harley knows I was still in the Tower when it went down. For all she knows I never made it out. Once I'm back to fighting shape I'll lead her back to Gotham."

"And your team?"

"Starfire knows I'm alive. She'll tell the others."

He grimaced and scrubbed a hand over his face. If Babs was taking it hard that I had a new team it was nothing compared to Bruce. Every chance he got he criticized them to me. They weren't disciplined enough, they needed more restraint, Beast Boy needed to control himself when he spoke to the press, Cyborg left wide openings for enemies to hack into his software, Starfire was entirely too trusting and needed to display more modesty in public... Strangely, I didn't hear many complaints about Raven. Batman wasn't a big fan of magic, particularly demon magic, but I think he sensed a kindred spirit in Raven and he approved of her desire to keep people at arms' length.

"If your team knows you survived they won't worry about you," said Bruce as if I was a two-year old who couldn't put two and two together.

"That was kind of the point."

"If she can't find you Quinn will watch them. If they don't seem worried she'll know you're alive somewhere." I knew that too, and originally I hadn't planned on telling the others, but when I saw Starfire fall back because worry and sadness were affecting her powers I couldn't stop myself from reassuring her. When she cried there wasn't anything I wouldn't do to make her smile again. I'd tell her my real name if she asked me, not that she ever would. Starfire respects people's privacy, and after tonight I was starting to understand why. I wasn't about to tell Bruce that though. He constantly lectured me on the dangers of dating a teammate. The closer I got to Starfire the louder he protested. We both knew it was only a matter of time before I acted on my feelings though.

"So you're telling me you have no idea what Joker's up to? Why do I not believe you?"

"Because you're a paranoid brat with an inferiority complex," said Batman lightly.

"Pots and kettles, Batman."

"I'll look into the Joker. Try to stay out of trouble," he grunted, ignoring my comment altogether. Without so much as a goodbye he transferred the screen back to Batgirl. She had removed her mask and was leaning anxiously toward the computer with her yellow-gloved hands clasped in front of her.

I hadn't stepped foot through the Wayne Manor doors since I walked out of them three years ago to forge a new identity separate from Batman. Apart from the occasional video chats, I'd left Babs behind in that life along with him. Looking at her now I remembered being fourteen again and desperate for her to notice me. She had wavy red hair, freckles, and eyes that sparkled with an intelligence to rival mine. She was all grown up now, and I could tell from the way she was looking at me that she wasn't seeing the skinny little boy who used to tease her because he didn't know how else to tell her he had a crush on her.

"Robin, are you really coming back?"

"Just long enough to finish this," I replied. It sounded harsh even to my ears, and disappointment made her shoulders droop, so I added, "I don't belong there anymore. I found a new life here."

"You're one of us whether you like it or not. You'll always come back to Gotham."

It was Babs who ended the call. I went back to dressing my wounds in the dark apartment building. Outside I could hear the sirens from police cars and fire engines rushing to take care if a city under fire. Out if the corner of my eye I caught a flare of green light. One side of my mouth turned up. The Titans would be fine without me.

**Starfire's POV:**

We needed Robin desperately. When we weren't battling criminals we were helping remove people from burning buildings and transport those affected by the Joker Venom to their nearest medical facility. It was exhausting and within the first couple of days we were quickly becoming overwhelmed. Of Robin there was no news and I worried constantly. I fear my anxiety began to wear on my teammates because Raven would clench her teeth when I mentioned his name, and Beast Boy ceased trying to reassure me that he was unharmed.

As the sun set on the seventh day the Titans gathered around our television in a vain attempt to gather our energy and see what progress had been made. The first image to cross the screen was a body being laid on a stretcher. A limp arm hung over the side wearing a bright green glove. Not even when I saw the ragged black and yellow edges of his shredded cape did I comprehend what I saw. Only when the headline flashed across the bottom of the screen was I forced to accept what I saw.

'Titan Leader Robin Presumed Dead.'

* * *

**A/N: originally I planned to have this story only in Starfire's pov, but I realized that it would leave gaping holes in the narrative, and I really enjoy getting inside Robin's head. And no, I may not have introduced Babs in the most flattering light, but there is a character arc for her as more than just the jealous ex that I've sometimes seen her portrayed as in other stories. In my opinion, if she ever had feelings for Robin as anything other than platonic then it would be difficult to be replaced as his partner in crime fighting and as a love interest. And even though I've written Robin as not as clueless as in other stories, he's not as sympathetic as he could be to her feelings. Plus she's got Bruce in her ear listing all the Titans' shortcomings, so until she meets them she has little reason to have a high opinion of them.**


	7. Chapter 7

No one said anything. The horrid news channel replayed the image over and over. Cyborg pulled me against his side and I clung to him. Beast Boy stood between the couch and the television, looking from us to the screen and back as if he thought we knew something he did not and was keeping it from him. Raven looked at the floor. The tension grew so thick that I began gasping for breath.

"It can't be true," said Raven at last. "She would have broadcast if they had captured him."

I nodded fervently. These people were like the _femborks_ of my planet. They craved attention. Not even for their worst enemy would they carry out a secret assassination if they had the chance to make a public display. It was the audience they craved. But that still did not explain the uniform. Robin guarded his things very closely. He told me once that the technology in his cape alone was more advanced than anything available on the market, and if the technology fell into enemy hands it would be catastrophic for us. His cape is both flame retardant and capable of deflecting bullets if shot from a long range. I could easily imagine the difficulties we would have apprehending criminals if they fashioned suits of armor from similar fabrics.

"Perhaps we should try his communicator?" I suggested. My voice was higher pitched than normal in an effort to sound in control.

"Baby girl, he hasn't answered that thing since the Tower went down."

"But he said he would do the keeping in touch with us. We must try."

"Raven's right," said Beast Boy. "It doesn't make any sense for them to kill him. Didn't she say Joker wants him back in Gotham?"

"I say we pretend this never happened," said Cyborg in a low, serious tone. "If someone's trying to play games then let's not let them get to us. It was obviously a message, but until we know who it's for I say we just keep doing what we've been doing. The people are our first priority. Robin can handle himself."

I could see the sense in his words, but it was hard, so hard. I looked at the screen again just as it zoomed in on the lifeless green hand swinging beneath the stretcher.

Of Harley and her gang we saw very little in the following days. We were busy dealing with our own criminals and putting them back behind bars. Robin did not contact us. The news was unhelpful because as the doctors had no sample of his DNA on file they could not confirm or deny whether it was him or not, but the body that had been found was most assuredly dead. Someone had slit the sides of his mouth to form a ghastly semblance of a smile. The swelling and bruises made it too difficult for Cyborg to identify him. He did not permit me to go with him. Though I longed to know once and for all, secretly I was grateful.

Within hours of Cyborg's visit, we learned that the body, more specifically the suit had been stolen. There were no signs of the entry of force, no fingerprints, and none of the extra security guards saw anything. I did not know what to think. Had Robin come to reclaim his lost things, or had his fears become realized and his secret technology was now in the hands of our enemies?

On the third day, the R-cycle was found. Every inch of the red paint was scratched. There were large dents as if someone had struck it repeatedly with a baseball bat. This time there was a message stuck to the remains.

"Bye bye, Birdie!"

There was no doubt who had done this. Robin treasured his motorcycle. He did not humanize it the way Cyborg did the T-car, but he would never have inflicted such damage upon it as a mere deception. But what did the message mean?

_Starfire, you're worried, we all are, but making yourself sick isn't going to give us answers any quicker. _ Raven's voice spoke directly into my mind. I flinched.

_How could he do this to us? How could he let us worry about him like this? _ Once she opened the connection I could speak into her mind as well.

_It's Robin. The mission always comes first with him._

_That is not true! _I shook my head angrily, making Beast Boy and Cyborg look at me strangely. _ He protects us at the risk of the mission, do you not see? He would rather endanger himself than risk one of us getting hurt trying to help him._

She rolled her eyes, not at me, but at the truth in my words. In her eyes it was just another form of selfishness. Suddenly her eyes glowed white and her face went slack. Then she blinked and her face resumed its expression of mild irritation._  
_

"Cyborg's right. The whole city saw that news report. The Titans need to be seen to avoid panic. Trust me I can already feel it building." She pressed her fingertips to her temple and rubbed a slow circle. It was decided despite my misgivings.

Careful as always, Cyborg scanned the alley in front of the restaurant. When he was certain the coast was clear, we quickly filed out.

"It's about time," said a voice from above. "I was starting to think I'd have to come in and get you." I fired off a starbolt that obliterated the edge of the roof on which he crouched. Nimbly he somersaulted onto the ground in front of us only to raise his skull face to find Cyborg's sonic cannon aimed at his head.

"Been wondering when you'd show up," said Cyborg coldly.

"Guys, take it easy. That's not who you think it is," said Raven softly. She glided past Cyborg and I until she and Red X were practically nose to nose. Her hand whipped up so quickly he didn't have time to duck before she slapped him across the face.

"Do you have any idea what you're putting us through?" she hissed. He held up his hands.

"It hasn't exactly been a cakewalk for me either."

My heart went ice cold and I gave a soft cry as my knees buckled. He moved to catch me but I held out an arm to hold him at bay as I floated inches above the ground. He lowered his arms and backed up a couple of steps, but I felt hurt radiating from him. Beast Boy looked between us.

"You mean that's-"

"Not here!" Raven snapped. "_Azarath. Metrion. Zinthos._" An enormous black cloud of energy swallowed us. I hated this method of travel. It was cold and disorienting. When the darkness peeled away we were in a warehouse I recognized from the docks opposite our island.

"Explain!" Raven commanded, using her powers to fling Red X to the ground in the center of the circle the Titans and I formed around him.

"Geeze Raven, easy," he complained, dusting himself off as he got to his feet. His hand reached up to smooth his hair in a gesture that nearly stopped my heart with its familiarity before remembering that the Red X costume covered his head completely.

"I've been trying to infiltrate their ranks as Red X. I'm supposed to meet with one of their second tier leaders tonight. Maybe then I can find out what they're planning. I saw the news reports and I thought... I promised I would check in."

"You call this checking in? Dude, it's been three days since they found your 'body.' Cyborg had to identify it and couldn't even tell if it was you it was so mangled. You didn't think _that_ might have been a good time to let us know you weren't dead?" Beast Boy's arms waved wildly in his agitation. Red X shrugged defeatedly.

"Look, I don't know who Harley's got in her back pocket. For all I know she's infiltrated the police and can see every move we make. I didn't want to lead her to you."

"Why are you so scared of her man? She's crazy, but she's no worse than Slade." Cyborg narrowed his human eye.

"She's not, but Joker is. Joker would kill any one of you on sight and laugh over your corpse just because he thought it was funny. You don't know him. If you'd seen the things he's done like I have, all the people he's hurt..."

"Why the radio silence?" Cyborg turned the conversation in a different direction. Red X sucked in a whistling breath and shook his head.

"I'm not taking any chances. Harley's smart. Tapping into our network isn't beyond her."

"You say you've got an interview with them tonight? What do they say about Robin's 'death'?" Cyborg folded his arms across his chest. Red X shrugged. I refused to call him Robin while he was wearing that mask. Once before he had used the disguise and it nearly destroyed the Titans. I hated hearing his voice coming from behind that mask.

"They know it's a fake since they didn't kill me. They like the mass panic it caused though."

"And what if they see through that disguise? You're not even trying to hide your voice in that thing."

"This isn't the first time I've done this, Cy. I know what I'm doing."

"Why are you still here? Why not go back to Gotham already? Wasn't that your plan all along?" Beast Boy asked.

"There's no way I'm walking into a trap _there_ without knowing what I'm getting into. If this was Slade, maybe, but I don't mess around with Joker, and you shouldn't either."

"You've got to give us more to go on, man. We're barely holding it together."

"You're doing fine," said Red X. I could hear the smile in his voice and it squeezed my heart. "Crime's basically back to normal. You've put all the major criminals in jail faster than even I was expecting."

"I'm not talking about that, I'm talking about us! I saw a body and I thought it was yours! Raven kept saying she could feel your aura but we had. O clue what was going on. I thought we talked about this. You need to trust us!"

"I do trust you!"

"BB's been a nervous wreck. He's been having nightmares. Raven's even more withdrawn than usual, and Starfire-"

The skull mask swiveled sharply to look at my face and I turned my head. I heard him approach. He touched my wrist.

"I told you not to worry..."

My eyes flashed and I grabbed his hand and squeezed until the bones threatened to snap. He hissed in pain.

"How could I not worry? He wore your uniform! They destroyed the R-cycle and there was no word from you. You promised!" Tears flowed freely now and I released m to cover my face. It hurt, his withdrawal. It was even worse than the last time he had chosen the Red X persona.

"Starfire, wait."

I backed away shaking my head. I could not do this. I could not bear his casual disregard of our feelings even for our own protection. Summoning a distant memory of the Titans enjoying a picnic on the beach below the Tower, I managed enough happiness to shoot through the ceiling.

Something closed around my ankle, and I kicked out instinctively. He slipped, but managed to hold on long enough for me to see who it was. I halted so fast he swung back and forth like a pendulum. Only his great acrobatic reflexes kept him from slinging loose.

"How...?" I was already forty feet above the warehouse. Even if he'd lunged for mr at the moment I took off he should not have been able to catch me.

"Line of sight teleportation," he reminded me in a sad voice. "Get us out of the open and I'll explain everything, I promise."

I hated that mask more in that moment than I believed possible for an inanimate object, because it kept me from discerning the truth in his face. Robin's version of the truth was most fluid when it served his purposes. However, it was unwise for us to converse in midair over the city where anyone might see us. With a sigh I reached down to grasp his hand. It felt warm and strong and familiar as it intertwined with mine. Lifting him close to protect him as best I could, I went supersonic with a crack that echoed through the still night like thunder.

* * *

**A/N: I'm going on a business trip so it might be a couple of days before the next update for those who've gotten used to this multiple updates a day thing. At least I didn't leave you with a cliffhanger though. **


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: I'm back!

* * *

The farther I flew the angrier I became. Robin was doing the pushing away of us, and even though he claimed it was for all the right reasons it did not change the fact that he would rather work alone than trust us to assist him. Once, he had complained of his mentor giving him the same treatment. I knew if I made the comparison he would site many reasons why these circumstances were different, but they were not.

I flew us away from the city and into the mountains where I knew no one would be able to see or follow us. Robin looked down to find a purchase for his landing, but before he could let go of my hand, I slung him sideways through the air so that he hit the ground in a graceless heap. I was rewarded by the harsh gust of the air being knocked from his lungs. The distance had been less than fifteen feet, so I did not worry overmuch that he would injure himself. Acrobats are trained fallers.

"Starfire, wh-what was that for?" He sat up slowly, sucking air into his lungs, I hovered before him, my hands on my hips and a scowl on my face.

"I believe you owe me the explanation."

He just sat staring at me in silence for a long while. It bothered me to not be able to read his face.

"Take it off."

"Excuse me?" His head arced back in a show of surprise. I pointed.

"I wish to see your face."

"Oh. Sorry Star. I can't. I left my mask at home."

Odd as it may sound, it was the first time I had ever wondered to see what his face looked like beneath the mask. Just as I had never known Cyborg as anything other than a hybrid of man and machine or Beast Boy as an overly hairy human with green skin, Robin had always been a young man with black hair that stood up in all directions and wore a black mask. To know that if I removed the Red X more I would see a stranger's face made me very curious. The distance between us was not so great, and it would be no trouble to simply remove the mask by force.

"Don't even think about it," he warned. It only served to remind me of how unfair it was that he could see me clearly while I had no way of reading his emotions.

"How did your uniform end up on that body?"

He tensed, surprised that I would begin my questions right away.

"I put it there. Harley's men jumped some poor college kid outside a parking lot. I..." He gave an audible gulp. "I saw a resemblance. He was my height, close enough to my build, and after what they'd done to him he was unrecognizable. By the time I found him he was already dead. With everything going to hell like it is everyone would assume it was someone else that did it. Harley and Joker get their followers from the insane asylum. How would she know if one of them went too far and didn't tell her about it? With all the drugs they pump into them at Arkham it's amazing they have enough brain functioning power to pull a trigger, much less take over a city."

"Why do it? Why make us worry?"

"To give the Titans a break. I knew it wouldn't fool Harley, but it had Jump City running scared. Our criminals thought you guys were out for blood and they gave up easier than before. Besides, Harley had to take time to find out if it was true, which opened up a perfect opportunity for Red X to slip in." He was trying not to sound pleased with the thoroughness of his plan. "Red X has a reputation on the streets for giving the Titans the slip, for getting in and out of places no one else would dare steal from and getting away with it every time. When I offered to find out if Robin's death was a fake her lieutenants were more than happy to let me help." He did sound pleased now. He crossed his ankles and wrapped his arms around his knees, rocking back and forth.

"And what will you tell them?"

"That Robin's headed back to Gotham because he needs Batman's help. It's what she wants to hear. Now that they've destroyed the Tower and the R-cycle they'll believe that I need help restocking my arsenal."

"It seems you have thought of everything," I said grudgingly. "Except for us. You have said in the past how much you wish the Batman had not pushed you away to protect you and yet that is the first thing you do whenk there is trouble."

"It's not-"

"It is exactly the same, you simply do not wish to see it." We were quiet for a long time. He turned his head and muttered angrily under his breath.

"What do you want me to say? I've already apologized."

"I want you to trust me. Us."

"I do! How many times do I have to say it?" He sprang to his feet and began pacing.

"Take me to where you are staying." I did not know I would say it until the words left my mouth. It surprised both of us. His arms relaxed and he made to ruffle his hair again only to let his hand fall uselessly back to his side.

"You want to come back with me? Why?"

"This is the trust I need. I want to know where you go. The Titans have the houses of safety. Why can you not use ours and we can know you are unharmed. I wish to see why you feel more secure apart from us." He wanted to argue. It charged the air between us, but he recognized the trap I had laid for him. To refuse meant he did not trust me with his secret. He sighed.

"Fine."

My communicator buzzed. It was Raven.

"Where are you? I cannot sense either of you in the city."

"We are returning to Jump presently. I will rejoin the Titans when I am finished here." Raven narrowed her eyes, but shrugged.

"Ok. Make sure he knows he's an idiot before you forgive him."

"I can hear you, you know," Robin complained, coming to stand beside me so Raven could see him too. She lifted an eyebrow with complete indifference.

Red X seemed a little uncertain as he reached to take my hand for the flight back. I could not guess whether it was reluctance to show me where he lived or wariness at allowing me to take him into the air again after I threw him, but either way it stung. I did my best not to show it, but Robin has always been able to read me better than most.

"On the south end of town is a place called the Lunar Motel. It has a green sign. You should be able to see it from the air. I'm in room G-17." His voice was heavy with some deep emotion I could not fathom. I did not bother to look at him to try to understand. Once again it was necessary to fly quickly to avoid being seen. It would be particularly bad for his undercover operation if Red X was seen flying with Starfire over the city. Fortunately he was right and I could see the sign from the air.

"Circle around. I'll meet you by the alley," Robin said. It surprised me when his hands were simply no longer in mine. For a moment I thought he had simply let go, but he had managed to activate his teleportation device. I did as I was told, not slowing my pace at all. Landing a block away, I found myself anxious as I walked the short distance to the motel. It is not easy to go unnoticed when you are a six-foot tall female with red hair that brushes the back of your thighs wearing a tight-fitting purple miniature skirt. Surprisingly, Red X's hideout was not in the safest area of town. As I strode past concrete buildings I heard whistles from the dark windows.

"Hey legs, where are you going in such a hurry?"

"You lost sugar, let me take you home!"

"Mmm, it must be my lucky day." The last was spoken by a man in the white garment reserved for the beating of wives as he leaned on a rusty chain-link fence that surrounded the housing complex where he stood. His eyes had a yellowish cast to them and gray stubble poked through the skin of his chin. As I approached, he opened the gate and stepped into my path, dragging his eyes slowly up and down my form. He did not trouble himself to raise his gaze higher than my collarbone. Disgust welled up in me as his tongue swept across his upper lip in a lewd expression of his desire.

"You would be wise to step aside," I said softly, glancing around to make sure the street was quite empty. He held out his arms in open invitation.

"No need to be scared, baby. Let a real man show you what you've been missing." He reached to put an arm around my waist. Before his dirty fingertips could touch my skin I had his wrist twisted at a sharp angle. It wasn't broken, but I need only flick my fingers to break it. He yowled like a feline, squirming to break free. I watched him impassively as he struggled.

"Your attentions are unwelcome," I said finally. I released him and he lurched back, clutching his hand. The look he shot me was full of venom, and had I been a human female I might have feared for my safety. As it was, when he swung his free hand in a heavy backhand toward my face, I merely caught his arm, spun him around, and planted the toe of my boot on his calf to force him to his knees.

"I do not have the time to waste dealing with you. Yield now, or I will have no choice but to incapacitate you." It surprised me that Red X had not come to find me yet. Robin was usually quick to find me when we were separated in unfamiliar terrain. Surely he was aware of the human dregs that inhabited this corner of the city.

The man proceeded to sling a bitter string of curses at my feet, but as they meant little to me I released him once more and continued on my way. He did not come after me again. As I passed the shadowed alley between two buildings I heard a slow clap.

"You're too nice, cutie," said Red X. I could hear the pride in his voice. Much as I pretended to be indifferent to it, the small endearment sent a private thrill through me. I knew it was part of the persona he created, but Robin seldom complimented me on my appearance and it was nice to hear that he found me appealing enough to label me as such.

"You did not assist me?"

Robin would have. Robin would have intervened the moment the man first dragged his eyes over me with such obvious intent. He would certainly have never given the man an opening where he would lay his hands upon me. On Tamaran such an offense is punishable by death, and while I eagerly embrace my friends with hugs of great exuberance, I am uncomfortable with the casual physical exchanges expressed between humans. That this man attempted to place his fingers on the skin of my navel sent a shudder through me as if swarming beetles crawled over my flesh.

"It wasn't easy," said Red X quietly, "but you had things under control. Besides, Red X isn't exactly one of the good guys."

He unfolded himself from the shadows and stepped toward me.

"Come on, I have to take you through the back way," he said, reminding me of why we were there.

To my displeasure he led me to a hole in the ground. The metal cover was shifted to one side, explaining in part what had taken him so long to reach me. I went first so he could slide the manhole cover back into place. My eyes emitted a soft green glow that we could see by. He chuckled.

"What I wouldn't give to be Tamaranean sometimes."

Though the tunnel we were in reeked of sewer, a second tunnel veered off to the left that Red X guided me down. Soon the pipe sloped up until we were at a second entrance. Red X nodded that I could continue and I lifted the thick metal with ease to find myself in an underground chamber. An L-shaped desk held three large computer monitors. More screens stood at intervals around the room almost as large as the wall. There were several profiles pulled up on the screens, presumably from criminals he intended to track down. It was an impressive workroom, bigger than the one back at the tower. Against a far wall stood a mannequin dressed in his Robin uniform. Several drawers were open revealing extra birdarangs and smoke pellets. I gazed around in stunned surprise.

"I should get my mask. Feel free to have a look around." He skirted the room, keeping a wide distance between us. The enormity of his offer to look around was not lost on me. Strange as it was, I found I could not poke through his things. When he returned I was still where I had been when he left.

The Red X uniform was gone, but he did not wear his Robin uniform either. He returned bare-chested and dressed in dark blue sweatpants. My eyes strayed over his muscular chest before I caught myself and blushing looked away.

"Sorry, I didn't have anything else."

"This command station is better the one you had in the Tower. Why not use this one?"

"You wouldn't believe how easy it is to lose myself down here. This place is a last resort."

"Why didn't you tell us about this place?"

He ducked his head.

"This place holds memories about my past life, before Robin, before Batman. When I first picked it I thought it would be a good idea to honor...my past." This was harder for him than I expected, but at least I knew why. This place tied him to his past in some way, a past that held sorrow and joy in equal parts. The Titans never spoke of what came before. If they knew what I had endured... Suddenly I felt the guilt for insisting that he bring me here.

"I am glad to know you have a place of safety. I did not mean to intrude." I moved back toward the iron circle on the floor.

"You don't have to go. Stay. At least until I have to leave to meet Harley's man. It's nice to have company." A faint blush colored his cheeks.

"The others will be wondering where I am."

"Don't go yet, Star. I missed you." The last words were so quiet I might not have known he spoke but for the movement of his lips.

"How long until you must go?" I asked shyly. He glanced at a digital clock on his desk.

"An hour."

"Very well, I will stay, but-"

At that moment new screen popped up on every computer screen in the room. Harley Quinn's face grinned at us from all sides as she blew s a kiss. I ignited my starbolts instinctively.

"She cannot see us?"

"No, it's a recording," said Robin, typing feverishly on the keyboard. "The question is how did she tap into this server?"

"Hiyah Robin. Nice try fakin' your own death an' all, but you gotta do better than that to pull the wool over Mr. J's eyes. We know you're out there and we're coming for you. The big day's almost here. Are you excited yet, cause I am!"

"Don't worry, Harley," said an entirely new voice. Robin froze. A new face pushed Harley's out of the way and though I knew he couldn't see us I leaned away from him. His face was bleached of all color. He wore his hair slicked back from his face. But it was his smile that disturbed me. His smile stretched impossibly wide on his narrow, pointed face.

"I'm sure Robin's just _dying_ to see what's up my sleeve. In fact, I _expect_ we'll be seeing him very soon." He threw back his head and laughed a high, insane-sounding noise. Chills ran under my skin, and I was grateful when Robin muted the feed. It cut out a moment later, taking his hideous clow face with it.

"Joker," Robin growled.


	9. Chapter 9

Robin spun out of his chair with a muttered oath and took the stairs two at the time. I was still shaken by the evil that had emanated from the Joker. Moments later he stumbled back down the steps, still shirtless but now wearing black skin-tight pants and carrying the rest of the Red X uniform over his arm.

"You are not thinking of going to the meeting after this," I said, moving to block his path. His brow furrowed as he tried to shoulder past me to his chair.

"If I don't go I lose my chance to find out more about his plan."

"Robin, he knows you are Red X. Don't you see?"

"I'm going, Starfire." The full use of my name meant there would be no talking him out of this. Why must he be so stupid? English was not even my two-hundredth language and I had understood Joker's veiled reference to Red X in his message. X-pecting. If he had written it I'm certain that is how it would be spelled.

"I will go with you."

"No." He didn't even look up as he laced up his boots.

"Then I will follow you." I stood over him, my arms crossed over my chest in a pose similar to the one he used to intimidate the criminals. It was not so intimidating when I did it, but it did not have to be. If I wished I could detain him with one hand behind my back. He hated to be reminded of this. Robin's spirit is stronger than his body.

"Starfire, stay out of this. If anything happens..."

"You do not have the contingency plan if this falls through?" I half-shouted at him. He made a noise in the back of his throat as he jammed the Red X mask over his face. He still wore the Robin mask underneath, which told me more than anything that he expected this plan to fail.

"Robin, you are the _clorbag_, do you know that?" I said angrily. "Do not think that I will stand here and watch you get yourself killed."

"Then leave, Starfire. If you have such little faith in me then there is no reason for you to be here." He said it in a terribly soft voice. It was not said in anger but hurt. He stared at me, and even with two masks between us I saw just how much it hurt him to think that I did not believe him capable. It made me furious. Taking aim, I fired a low-watt starbolt at his shoulder that spun him around backwards while I flew to the manhole cover, tore it from the ground and darted into the tunnel. I took the wrong turn, but eventually I emerged in the alley behind the motel. Still furious, I pulled out my communicator and called Cyborg. When he answered his face held one of the smirks.

"'bout time, little lady. We were about to send out a search party."

"Can you do the tracing of my communicator?" I was so furious that could not respond to his gentle banter. It took him by surprise.

"Sure. You lost? Where's Robin?"

"Robin is currently being the clown of the rear end. He just received a message from the Joker that all but announced he is walking into a trap by going to this meeting tonight and he still intends to go. I tried everything I could think of to get him to stay, but he told me to leave. His meeting will take place in half an hour. I will follow him and I want you to trace my signal. He is evil, Cyborg. I thought I would never see such evil again, but he reeks of it. We cannot let Robin's pride get the better of him."

"Not a problem," said Cyborg calmly. "He doesn't deserve it, but we've got his back."

**Robin's Point of View**

She attacked me! She told me once that she couldn't live in a world where we must fight and she just blasted a hole through my shoulder. Okay,so that might be a bit of an exaggeration. It barely broke the skin, but it didn't change anything. I crouched on one knee clutching my arm as I watched her fly away from me. What had I done?

God I'd been such an idiot to bring her down here. If she had been anyone else she could have unraveled everything. The year before their deaths my parents and I came to Jump City to participate in the city's fiftieth birthday celebration. Jump had invited the best circus acts from around the country to attend for the week, and naturally the Flying Grayson's were at the top of the list. This was the motel where we had stayed. Everything about this place was tied to them. The room number was G for Grayson and the date of their deaths. Had she gone upstairs she would have seen the more elaborate security system whose password was their birthdays. I even had a wrinkled poster hanging above the bed. It had been left over from the week we had stayed. The management had another in the lobby, this motel's only claim to fame.

I'm not sure why Starfire leaving hurt as bad as it did. I'd told her to go, but I hadn't really expected her to do it. Normally she was the only person I could count on to stand behind me, but even she didn't support me on this one. Did that mean I was making a mistake? _Get a grip, Grayson_, I told myself. I couldn't afford to second guess myself. Star and I could work out our differences later.

Feeling restless, I emailed Batman a copy of Joker's message before quickly shutting down the computer. I really didn't need him calling to tell me what was wrong with my plan. I did it as a courtesy, one he would never do in return. Maybe he had more information that this might help out.

By now it was time to go. I had the feeling of a man about to walk down Death Row. I shook my head, trying to summon up enough confidence to pull off Red X's cocky persona. There were times when I preferred the skull mask to the black one. Red X didn't owe anyone anything. He could do what he wanted without letting anyone down. If he wanted to flirt with Starfire in broad daylight then he did, if he wanted to ruffle Raven's feathers because he could then he did, and if he wanted to keep Beast Boy quiet for five minutes then he threw a red x adhesive over his mouth that he couldn't remove. The only drawback was that he couldn't be a Titan. He existed in a gray area that leaned closer to black than white. As I stood up and went upstairs I found myself missing the Titans even more than usual. On our team, if you fell someone caught you, if you were in trouble someone came to your rescue, if you were an idiot someone would tell you... Lie Star had... Oh well. There was no going back now.

**Starfire's Point of View**

I had to stay well back. Robin has an unnatural tendency to know when he is being watched or followed. He claims it is like an itch between his shoulder blades. Trailing someone capable of teleportation is no easy thing either, but I believe he wished to save his supply of xenothium because he primarily ran along the rooftops. Once or twice he vanished in a blink, and I panicked at the thought that I had lost him before I would see movement from the corner of my eye.

He stopped between a pair of empty warehouses, it was a dead end street. He stood facing the wall in front of him as though there was something there to see, though I saw nothing but plain bricks. I even landed on the roof of the building behind him to get a better look. Perhaps there was a door...

"I know you're there," Robin said quietly. The night was so still that his voice carried easily. I stifled an eep of surprise.

"Good of you to join us," said a voice that sent chills up my spine. "I have so been looking forward to meeting you."

He stepped out from between a pair of empty crates. He wore a lime-green collared shirt and a purple suit. In his right hand he twirled a crow bar. Red X tensed, but turned his head only slightly over his shoulder. It was another of his tricks he used to lure his enemies into the false sense of security. He made them feel as if they posed no threat to him by presenting his back.

"We have a lot in common you and I," said Joker, pointing his crowbar at Red X with a grotesque grin that dripped menace.

"How do you figure that?" Not even undercover could Robin allow himself to be compared to the criminals that he brought to justice. Joker giggled to himself.

"I bother the Bat and you're a thorn in the bird's wing. I hear it drives him crazy every time you slip through his bright green fingers." Joker held up one hand and wriggled his long fingers to illustrate his point. Red X turned, his posture relaxing.

"It's not too hard to ruffle his feathers. But what's a guy like you want with a guy like me? Stealing isn't exactly your usual MO."

"Ooh, I'm full of surprises Rexy, my boy." Joker leaned against another crate, his long, thin body perfectly at ease. "For instance, did you know that the Teen Titans are currently headed this way in that monstrosity they call a car. The T must stand for tin can, am I right?" He chuckled.

"The Titans? How do you know that?" This had caught him off guard. Of course. In his mind the Titans were far away. He did not realize I had led them straight to him. But it was my turn to panic as well. Had I unknowingly led them into a trap as well?

"Oh I make it my business to know where all those busybodies are. Not to worry. The old girl's been begging for a chance at those bozos. She and the boys have more than enough grenades and rocket launchers to keep them busy." My heart stopped in my chest. In the distance I heard the roar of an explosion. It was so strong that the warehouse windows rattled. Red X spun in the direction of the noise, his fingers curling into fists before he went perfectly still.

"You know, I kind of like the game of cat and mouse I have going with them. It keeps me on my toes. I'd be kind of annoyed if you put an end to it without asking." I heard the anxiety in his voice. His teammates were in danger and he blamed himself.

"Not to worry. Harley's got them in good hands." Another explosion went off. This one was powerful enough that Joker and a Red X swayed a little. I desperately wanted to contact the others to know that they were safe, but I didn't dare use my communicator within earshot of Joker.

"Quinn better be careful. That red-head he's got packs a powerful punch. She normally holds back, but if her friends are in trouble there isn't anything she wouldn't do to protect them." My mouth went dry. His words were meant for me. He knew I was there and he wanted me to go to our friends' aid. Much as it pained me to leave him, I knew in this instance that the others needed me more.

"Be safe," I whispered, turning to fly off. I froze. Not three feet from me stood Harley Quinn. She had an AK-47 pointed straight at my heart.

"Where you goin', cupcake?" Her finger twitched on the trigger just as green fire gathered behind my eyes. The shot rang out and I heard the ping as a bullet bounced off my gorget. She had no such protection against my starbolt. It hit her square in the chest and flung her backwards. She shrieked, and her weapon went flying over the edge of the building down to where Red X and Joker were conversing.

Seconds later more shots rang out and it was all I could do not to fly down and scoop Robin to safety. But he had given me my orders and our friends' safety was my primary objective. I shot off another starbolt as Harley made to rise as I launched into the air. Twenty feet in the air I saw the smoke from where the Titans were taking fire from Joker's men. My fists curled with frustration. Green light ignited around my hands. Enough was enough.


	10. Chapter 10

A massive crater had appeared in the middle of the street. Miraculously, the T-car was still in one relative piece, though it lay on its side and from the air I could see my friends taking cover from behind it. The paint was scratched and the tires were a shredded, melted mess. A man wearing a black leather jacket and a clown mask ran toward the car and flung something small and dark through the air.

"Incoming!" Cyborg yelled, pushing Beast Boy down behind the car. Raven's eyes blazed white. The small device detonated in midair with enough force that I had to work to maintain my position in the sky. More of the clowns cheered and clapped as if the deadly bomb was merely the works of fire Robin took me to see on the Fourth of July.

I rained green fire from the sky.

"Whoohoo, that's my girl!" Cyborg's deep voice reached me over the short distance. With our enemies distracted by my fire, the Titans burst from behind their hiding place to engage. Beast Boy became the cheetah and ran into the nearest building, whose windows were shattered and the bricks blackened. He would do what he could to find survivors while we took care of the ones who had done this. There was little his forms could do against bombs, and his help would be better served off of the front lines.

"Great timing, little lady. I was thinking I was gonna' have to pull out the big guns," called Cyborg, grinning I spite of the chaos around us.

"This ends now!" Raven rose up in the air and lifted her arms high to summon her magic. "Azarath Metrion zin-". Before she could finish the incantation the clowns loosed a jet of flames at her from a strange cannon-looking device. In the middle of calling up one spell she could not change it last minute into a protection spell. I dove at her like a missile, shielding her body with my own as I pulled her out of the way. A pulse of blue light took out the weapon, followed closely by Cyborg's battle cry as he went after the monsters.

"You are undamaged?" I asked through gritted teeth as I crawled back from Raven to let her rise. Four red eyes blinked up at me.

"I'm fine. Azarath Metrion Zinthos!"

There were gasps from all around us as the clowns were lifted into the air. Their eyes bulged as they clawed at their throats, unable to draw breath.

"You think causing pain and terror is funny?" Raven asked in a many-layered voice much different than her own. "I don't hear you laughing now. Maybe I'm not doing it right." She raised her hands above her head and a black portal opened in the sky. Strange red-eyed creatures looked out from the portal. They reached for the clowns, licking long tongues over jagged teeth. I shrank back.

"Raven...?"

"Raven, you're creeping us out here too!" Cyborg yelled from across the street. She bared her teeth and brought her hands down. The portal descended, engulfing all of the clowns. As I watched in fascinated horror the portal became a cage containing all of them between black bars. Raven closed her eyes and when she opened them again there were only two.

"Remind me to stay off your bad side," said Cyborg cheerily as he stepped forward to inspect the cage.

"Beast Boy needs us," said Raven curtly. She glided away and when I moved to follow the full extent of my injuries was made clear to me. I cried out.

"Starfire!" They were at my side at once.

"Azar, Star. You shouldn't have done that." Raven sounded shocked, which did not bode well.

"Your healing capabilities are needed elsewhere. I will stay with the prisoners and ensure that they remain detained until the authorities arrive." It was a mark of the pain I was in that I volunteered to speak to the authorities alone. They typically did not respond well to my alien speech patterns, treating me as though I were a child rather than the future monarch of an entire planet.

"Are you sure! I could-"

"Already it is healing." That much they could se for themselves and they left to assist Beast Boy. Further movement on my part would only slow the process and I grounded myself to allow the green energy that sustains me to focus solely on regeneration.

"There's more where that came from," called one of the clowns encased in Raven's prison. Not rising to the bait I ignored him.

"Not too bright is she?" asked another.

"The boss was right. She fell for it all right."

"You think he's got the bird?"

"Of course he does. We're not exactly dealing with Batman here, are we? But I'd rather run into this one down a dark alley than him any day of the week." The laughed collectively, and though it was not the high-pitched laugh of their master, it was tinged with the same insanity. Try as I might to block out their words, a new fear sparked inside me.

"Want to know what he's going to do to him, girlie?" called the first. My expression must have shown my fear and silently I cursed myself for giving myself away. Had Robin not schooled me endlessly about betraying nothing but confidence in the face of our enemies. Even on Tamaran such weakness was worthy of disgust.

"You will do the shutting up now," I said in a cold, distant voice. They hooted and jeered again anyway.

"What do you do to a bird you're about to roast? Did you know a chicken keeps flapping around even after you take off its head. Wonder if robins do the same? You think he'll squawk when we pluck his feathers? I hope I'm there to hear his screams. You'd better be careful beautiful. From what I hear you just might be one of the feathers we get to pluck." He leered at me through the bars. A thick, muscled man with clown makeup running down his neck from the mixture of sweat and heat from the many bombs they had thrown.

"I am not so easily disposed of," I said. Xhal, this was difficult! I did not know what he meant by his veiled threats but I was sure it promised pain for all of us.

"Then again, maybe it's the other red-head. She may not have you in the looks department, but they go back a long way." My confusion must have shown because he cackled madly and slapped the backs of his companions in glee. What other red-head? "Oohoohoo! Even the good guys like a little action on the side! Don't let it get to you. She's the brains and you're the bod. And what a bod it is. MmMmm...reminds me of a Cat I know..."

"I weary of you," I said, turning my back on him. It was nonsense. He meant to upset me and by listening I was only allowing him to succeed. Of course Robin had friends in his past life, even friends that were girls. He had never spoken of any such girl to me before, but then I had never mentioned Karras, the Tamaranean I was to marry before I was branded a traitor for fleeing from my imprisonment from the Gordanians And nullifying the peace treaty between our species.

"Go on, walk away. Gives me a better view anyway." More dark chuckles accompanied this. Why did the men of this planet think to intimidate me with declarations of their lust. Robin had tried countless times to warn me, but on my planet we did not have such a thing as modesty. We were proud of our bodies that were strong and beautiful. Here that beauty was twisted by the viewer into something vulgar. Not even when I had been a captive and helpless had I been made to feel as if my body were to blame for the treatment I received. The Gordanians tormented all of their prisoners, choosing whichever methods would leave the most emotional scars. Had I been hideous it would not have saved me.

"Cyborg, how far out are the authorities?" I asked into my communicator.

"Should be almost there. Why? Everything okay?"

"I am feeling the need to snap some necks," I muttered. He knew I was joking, but such a threat from me was most uncommon. I have seen enough death and torture that I prefer to spare even my enemies from it most of the time. Still, I was a warrior first and foremost and what I wanted right now was blood.

"Hang in there," he said with nothing but caring in his deep brown eye. I nodded and was about to say something more when the screen went white with static. Behind me, on the giant television screen that was used for advertisements mounted on one of the city's skyscrapers, Joker's face appeared. His hair was disheveled and blood oozed from between his teeth as he grinned at the camera. The effect was chilling.

"Hiyah kids. It's been tons of fun, but I'm afraid it's time for me and the boys to go. Don't go worrying about getting us a parting gift-_I've already got one._" His voice dropped darkly as the camera view slid to the image of Red X strapped to a chair. Harley Quinn sat on his lap prodding his chest with a long stick that crackled with blue light at one end. Red X's head lolled, but his body spasmed violently as she stabbed him.

"Teehee. He's a little worse for wear, but he'll do just fine," said Joker gleefully as he skipped into view. He slid behind Red X and yanked his head up by the chin so everyone could see his face. The skull mask was shattered on one half of his face so that Robin's black mask was revealed. Blood flowed freely from his temple and I remembered the crowbar Joker had been twirling.

"Never took this one for a cross-dresser, but I guess I should have seen it coming. Those tights, I mean please! But I wonder what dear old Batsy would have to say if he could see you now, moonlighting as one of us. Them's the breaks kid. You couldn't hack it as a hero and you don't have what it takes to be a villain. Someone needs to put you out of your misery. But that's what I'm here for. Say buh-bye Jump!" Cruelly he pried apart Robin's jaws and forced him to mouth the words like a puppet. I covered my face with my hands, unable to tear my eyes away.

When the authorities came they took one look at me and went about their business without uttering a word. Joker's men did the cat-calling as they were loaded into the back of the police van. Ambulances arrived and without being told they rushed into the nearby buildings to assist the injured parties there.

Eventually the Titans emerged, soot-stained and grim-faced. If they expected me to be a crumpled mess on the floor they were mistaken. In that moment I was a living flame. My rage was so great that my long fall of red hair had become a whip of fire, while the rest of me emitted a soft green glow. Cyborg's mouth hardened.

"We will retrieve him," I said, daring anyone to argue.

"You mean go to Gotham?" squeaked Beast Boy. "But that's Batman's territory."

"Joker has one of our own. That makes it Titans territory," said Raven. Her four red eyes were showing again. I glanced around at my friends and nodded. Joker would pay.


	11. Chapter 11

Every moment that we delayed was another moment that Robin was in the clutches of that depraved lunatic, but it could not be helped. Cyborg could not find the source of the video the Joker had transmitted, and he suspected that he was already out of the city. I would have flown after him, but I had no way of knowing what vehicle to track or which route they had taken. Raven claimed that she could not establish a telepathic connection with Robin, which meant that he was probably unconscious. This did little to ease my fears.

"At least we know where he's headed," said Beast Boy, trying to remain positive. None of us had ever traveled to Gotham City before. It was a place Robin rarely spoke of and never in any light that encouraged further discussion. We also lacked transportation, as the T-car had been rendered useless during the attack with Joker's men. While it was still in one piece its tires were blown, there were dents in the side that had been on the ground that would not allow the doors to open, and the engine was leaking fluid. The repairs would take days, time we did not have.

"You guys got any ideas?" asked Cyborg.

"Well, we've got three flyers. We could take turns carrying you," said Beast Boy with a shrug. Cyborg made a face.

"He's right. I'm slowing you down. You guys could get there much faster without me."

"We go together," said Raven in a sharp voice. Beast Boy's eyebrows shot up.

"So what are we waiting for?" he asked after an awkward pause. He morphed into a bald eagle. Cyborg cringed.

"I'll need a portable generator. Who knows how long we'll be gone and my battery is already starting to run low thanks to this little speed bump." He surveyed the damaged T-car sadly. I knew he hated to leave it lying in the road where anyone could take it in its current condition.

"Okay, quick stop at the hideout," Beast Boy agreed. "We could all use a change of clothes and some fresh supplies."

"Robin has need of a change of clothes and fresh supplies but he is unable to procure them," I said hotly. Raven touched my shoulder and instantly a soothing coolness entered my mind.

"Robin knows how to survive," she said in a low voice. I swallowed the fear threatening to overwhelm me. She was right, as usual. Whatever Joker planned, he intended to prolong his game.

In the end I took pity on Cyborg and flew the T-car back to our hiding place with Raven's help in concealing it from public view. While I paced restlessly, the others packed what provisions they thought they would need. Cyborg had his generator and Raven gathered a small stack of old books. Beast Boy came back with a small box of snacks.

"You do realize the moment you transform those snacks are going to disappear," said Raven, sliding her gaze over him with faint irritation. His ears drooped as he considered the best way to bring his treats. Beside him, Raven had a small, purple pouch that had some enchantment placed on it to conceal large quantities without accumulating more bulk. Beast Boy scratched the back of his head vigorously until he glanced at the purple bag in her hand. Hope filled his eyes as they rose to meet hers. Raven groaned but held out her hand.

"Fine."

"Are we ready to go?" I asked. Under different circumstances I might have been amused by the gentle flirtation between the two. After all it was my secret suspicion that more existed between them than they cared to let on. Raven allowed Beast Boy more freedom than she ever gave to Robin or Cyborg even though he routinely crossed the boundaries that she clearly set with his curiosity and pranks.

"Ready," said Cyborg. "Star, if you don't mind I'll ride with you. I've already got my gps set to Gotham City. Has anyone given any thought to what we'll do once we get there. I mean, Batman's not exactly known for throwing out the welcome wagon for other heroes entering his city."

"He is Robin's father, yes? Why should he refuse our help in locating him?"

"Just the way Robin talks about him," Cyborg muttered more to himself than in answer to my question. "You'd think the guy cares more about sticking to his code than in saving people's lives."

"This is not just any life," I reminded him. "This is Robin."

"I'm just trying to warn you. Batman's an unknown right now. If he invites us into the Batcave then great, but we should be prepared to have a little opposition. It's a long flight there. We should spend it figuring out the fastest way to track down Joker without his help."

Cyborg's weight was no burden to me, but the flight was indeed a great distance. Beast Boy tried various animal forms, but eventually his arms grew tired and Raven had to fashion a black disc for him to ride. It slowed them down further, and I could not bring myself to slow, so eventually we lost sight of each other.

"Where do you suggest we concentrate our search?" I asked Cyborg after he informed me that we were within moments of reaching the outskirts of the city.

"It's tough to say. I've been trying to go through the crime files Robin uploaded to the Titans' network, but most of the ones about Gotham are encrypted. I could hack into them eventually, but for now they're pretty secure. Spikey-haired control freak. Does he have to be good at everything?" This last was said under his breath. Though Cyborg was frustrated, I could not help but smile.

"They do not call him the Boy Wonder for nothing."

"Does anyone really call him that? I mean seriously? When was the last time you heard someone say, 'there goes the Boy Wonder!' That sounds like something a twelve-year-old would say."

"That is the age he was when he began his career," I said, smiling in earnest now. Cyborg sobered.

"And to think, he was facing down guys like the Joker back in the day. Jump City must be a walk in the park compared to that. I'm not gonna lie, the guy gives me the creeps."

"I too receive the creeps when I see him. He is like the Kerflunkle of my planet. They are mindless beasts bent on nothing more than destruction. They kill for the thrill of the hunt, though they are herbivores. When engaged they would rather sustain a mortal injury than allow their opponent to get away from them. Tamaraneans tell stories of them to our children to frighten them."

"But I mean he was only a kid when he faced him for the first time. Can you imagine facing down that kind of evil when you were only twelve?" My grip on his arms slipped a little as memories rushed back at me. Yes, I could imagine the horrors of facing such evil at a tender age. I had experienced it as well, though Robin appeared to have escaped from his past with fewer scars than I had.

"I see the skyline in the distance. Where shall we land?" I prompted, changing the subject.

"It might be best if we try to get Batman's permission first. He might be...friendlier that way. Head for that building. That's where they keep the bat signal."

"How do you know this?" I asked, altering my course slightly in the direction he indicated.

"Everyone knows that. They turn on the signal when there's trouble that the police can't handle. I hear that it's on almost every night. It's how he knows that he's needed. Robin said that Commissioner Gordon used to keep it turned on just to scare the criminals into thinking that Batman was patrolling even on nights when he wasn't."

We touched down not he rooftop and I saw a large spotlight with a simple black metal silhouette fastened across the bulb in the shape of a bat.

"Raven, when you get here we're attempting to contact the Batman. I'm sending you coordinates now." Cyborg stood behind me speaking into his communicator while I approached the light. It took a bit of searching but finally I found the switch that turned it on. Remembering what he said about the police keeping the light on even when there was no real need, I sent a large starbolt into the air. The green light would draw attention, but I could not sustain it for long without using up my reserves of green energy.

"You don't want to draw too much attention to us, Star," Cyborg warned, sweeping the area with his robotic eye. "Joker's not the only crazy in this town."

"You know, it's not nice to show up uninvited," said a female voice from behind us. I spun, aiming a starbolt into the darkness. Lit by the green glow I saw a figure with a black mask and pointed ears. A yellow bat symbol was emblazoned across her chest as she perched on the railing.

"Batgirl?" guessed Cyborg, reaching out a hand to lower my arm. "We're here because Robin's been—"

"You think we don't know? We've got it covered." She spoke curtly, still crouched in a position of obvious defensiveness.

"We wish to help," I said, attempting to smile at the girl, though she remained shrouded in the darkness. I had the feeling that she did not appreciate our presence there, though I could not for the life of me think what we had done to earn her displeasure.

"This is Batman's city. We don't need your help."

"Robin would want us to help," I said defensively. I took a step toward the girl and lit another starbolt so that I could see her more clearly. Thick, red hair swung in a pony tale over her shoulder. Like Robin, her eyes were concealed, but the lower portion of her face was stern and unforgiving. When I approached she raised her right hand and I saw a birdarang, except it was not a birdarang because it was in the shape of a bat instead. I frowned.

The longer we stand here arguing the longer Robin is left in peril."

"If you care so much about him you should have let him handle this on his own and not interfered."

"How would you know whether or not I interfered?" I asked, suspicious now. Robin had not known that I would follow him. How could this girl have known."

"It was easy enough to hack into the security cameras. You were hiding on the roof. When you engaged Quinn it forced Robin to reveal his hand." For a moment the logic of it stung me, until I pierced deeper and shook my head.

"Quinn would have been on that rooftop whether I had gone with him or not. Had I not caused her to reveal herself she might have shot him while he was distracted with the Joker."

"You don't know him very well if you think he wouldn't have expected an attack like that from those two."

"Ladies, can we dial it down," Cyborg interjected, coming to stand between us. "We're all on the same side here. I don't know how things work here, but in Jump City teammates look out for each other. Starfire did what any of us would have done in the same situation and Robin knew that. He could tell himself all he wanted that he was on his own, but she was with him just before he left to meet with Joker and he had to have known that she would follow him."

"You're right, you don't know how things work in Gotham. Here, whatever Batman says, goes. And he says go."


	12. Chapter 12

When Raven and Beast Boy arrived, Batgirl did not appear to be any happier. Raven she regarded warily, because Raven was projecting wars of fear and menace. Perhaps with anyone else it might have worked, but was not the Batman known for using his enemies' fear against them? Batgirl was probably well-practiced at hiding her own. Beast Boy greeted her with a, "Whoa cool, you're Batgirl," that earned him a telling silence, though Cyborg she seemed to extended a grudging respect to. It was me she focused her displeasure at, and I recognized the cause immediately. Such things are common on my planet where we are ruled by our emotions. She viewed me as a rival. She was the other red-head Harley and the Joker had mentioned, the one who had been broken-hearted when Robin left Gotham to stay with us in Jump.

"You can't be here," she said for the fifth time.

"What, seriously?" asked Beast Boy. His ears drooped and I felt a stab of sympathy that the object of his hero-worship had rejected him.

"I would like to see you make us leave," Raven said softly. She lifted her hands in front of her in preparation for conjuring a spell. Each of us assumed our battle stance. Batgirl looked around at us all and gave an impatient huff.

"I don't have time for this right now. Just lay low and stay out of the way. If you go after Joker you're going to get Robin and possibly yourselves killed." Without another word she turned and fired a grappling gun at the corner of a nearby building, swinging away in a way that both familiar and yet nowhere near as graceful as the caped figure I knew.

"Nice to see they rolled out the welcome wagon for us," Raven muttered.

"Yea, she seems...nice," Cyborg drawled, clearly meaning the exact opposite. I relaxed my defensive stance.

"She cares for Robin and he is in danger. You know how little he appreciates outside help. I take it the Batman instills the same independence in all of the apprentices he trains."

"Starfire, you do realize that his ex—" Raven elbowed Beast Boy in the ribs before he could finish his statement.

"Not a good time," she said in a warning tone.

"Raven, now that we are here can you try to contact Robin once more. Perhaps he has awakened. If he has not that is dangerous for a human, yes?" Human biology is still very foreign to me. Tamaranean healing cycles can last for days without there being cause for alarm. Depending on the severity of our injuries in need of healing our normal bodily functions slow down to an almost imperceptible level so that all necessary green energy can be focused to the area that needs it most. I have learned that humans can not go hours between heartbeats or brain functioning. They are such a fragile race.

"I can sense that he's somewhere in the city, but there's some form of barrier keeping me out. They must have him sedated."

"It'd help if we had someone who knew the lay of the land to help us out. Since Batman and Batgirl are out that doesn't leave us with a whole lot of options.

"You mean we just flew all that way to stand around doing nothing? We were doing that just fine in Jump," said Beast Boy, folding his arms impatiently. Privately I agreed.

"Whatever Joker's planning, he going to take Robin to a place that's significant for them. Everything that Harley Quinn told us and Joker said himself points to some sort of reunion. He came all the way to Jump to bring Robin back. There must be something significant that happened sometime in their past that he wants to revisit."

"Well that's helpful," said Cyborg. "We all know how many trips Robin likes to take down memory lane. It's not like any of us would know."

"When Robin was thirteen, Joker shot him. It pierced a lung and he nearly died," Beast Boy supplied unexpectedly. We all looked at him and he shrugged.

"So what, I used to be one of his biggest fans. That was before I met the guy."

"And how many things did you get him to autograph for you before he threatened to kick you off the Titans if you asked for anything else?" Raven asked.

"The point is," he said speaking over her, "is that he and Joker had a big showdown over it. He was off the streets for weeks and when he came back he had something to prove. That was a year or so before he left Gotham, but he sort of changed after that. He was more serious and became the Robin we all know now. Before that he was kind of like the kid who realizes he's won the lottery and can't get over how cool his life is."

"I do not understand," I said. "What is the lottery?"

"I just mean that every time you saw him in the news before that he was this happy-go-lucky kid. He was always smiling and seemed to genuinely love what he did. Now he's this workaholic drone that doesn't know when to call it a day."

"Where did this confrontation take place?" I asked, eager for a lead. Beast Boy threw me a look.

"It's not like I memorized it. Do you know how many times Robin's fought the Joker?"

"Abandoned warehouse on the west end of town," Cyborg supplied. He was staring straight ahead and I knew he was using his computer programs to scan the Internet for the news article that Beast Boy had described.

"It's better than nothing," said Raven. She gestured for us to stand close to her so that she could transport us there rather than fly the same way we had arrived. From this moment on stealth was our primary objective. Cyborg gave her the coordinates while I grasped Beast Boy's hand for reassurance.

We reappeared on another rooftop. I had no way of knowing where we were, but trusted that we were near our goal.

"I thought you were told to stay out of my city." Before we could turn, there was a soft hiss from behind us, and before I could summon a starbolt, my eyes slid shut and I slumped to the ground.

"Do you realize what would have happened if I hadn't pulled you out of there? Joker is counting you to do exactly what you were about to do. You nearly played right into his hands." We had woken up to find ourselves in a room similar to the one that Robin had been using as a safe house. I was the last to wake, thanks to my alien physiology, and the moment my eyes lifted Batman began scolding us for directly disobeying his mandate to stay out of Gotham City. Bitgirl was there too. She was seated at the computer table with her back facing us while she watched a series of video feeds. She had her hand over her mouth and she made an inarticulate sound of distress.

"Oh God, look at him." Not even the Batman could keep me from flying to her side to see what she was seeing. I could see Robin lying on the ground. The cape of the Red X costume was badly torn, there were rips in his clothing, and the bloody side of his face had swollen so badly I might not have recognized him if I had not already known who it was.

"I know," said Batman grimly, pushing past me to stand behind her. "But we've talked about this. We can't go after him."

"What?!" The Titans and I gasped.

"It's not Robin he wants, it's me."

"But they're torturing him!" I shrieked. "You mean you intend to just leave him in their hands!"

"For now that is all we can do. Robin is strong. I trained him to be. He understands what is happening."

"Listen, Starfire, you're not the only one who wants to ride in to the rescue, but Batman's right. Robin's his achilles heel, he always has been. The only person who doesn't know that already is Robin. Joker knows that if anything happens to him Batman will be out for blood and he's counting on it. Giving him what he wants will only confirm it." Batgirl attempted to be patient with me. i appreciated the effort, but I could not agree.

"Why do you not dispose of him then. If he is such a despicable creature then why is he allowed to remain free?"

"We do not kill," said Batman in a tone that warned me not to press on. I was angry, and an angry Tamaranean is reckless.

"The Titans do not kill either, we leave the sentencing of our criminals to the judges and juries of the human courts as Robin has counseled us to do, but even the courts have the power to sentence him to death. Why has he not been executed?"

"Because he qualifies for the insanity plea a thousand times over," Batgirl answered in a weary tone that suggested that she had seen more than her fair share of instances where Joker had escaped his due punishment. I slammed my fist into the desk in frustration and chunk of the black metal fell to the floor.

"All the more reason he should be destroyed. He cannot be rehabilitated, he cannot be reasoned with. Clearly he lives only to escape and cause wanton chaos and destruction at every opportunity. As heroes we are sworn to protect the people and the only way to protect them from this fiend is if he never draws breath again."

"Passionate words, but not particularly helpful," said Batman, typing a few buttons os that he could enlarge the image of Robin on the ground.

"Do not talk to me about being the unhelpful when you sit here and do nothing while he is being tortured at the hands of those creatures!" I exploded. My hands flared with fire, but it extinguished the moment the Batman turned his dark, soulless eyes upon me.

"The only reason I'm not infiltrating that camp is because I had to stop you four from giving away your position and jeopardizing this entire mission." He delivered the words with brutal softness. I could see through his eyes what he had seen on that roof, the four of us arriving in a vortex of black power, me with my glowing eyes and Cyborg with his shiny metallic parts. We would have been easy enough to spot for anyone who was looking, and Joker undoubtedly had people looking.

"Make no mistake, that is my son out there," said Batman in clipped tones. I took a step back. He radiated fear in a way that was entirely different than Raven. She took the fears you harbored deep within your heart and reflected them back at you, but he was terrifying with his masked face that hid every emotion. Although I knew I was physically stronger, he faced me down with the supreme confidence of one who knows there is no question about the outcome of an altercation.

"If you believe you can save him then go. We have no wish to stand in your way."

"I don't need you to tell me my job," he said, though his tone gentler slightly. He exchanged a quick glance with Batgirl. She nodded, and he spun on his heel in a swirl of his black cape. There was a soft hiss as smoke filled the room anod then he was gone.

"Mellow-dramatic much?" muttered Raven under her breath.

"Why did you come? You had to have known that batman wouldn't let you help?" Batgirl addressed Cyborg. He shrugged.

"We're family."

"He'd do the same for us," Beast Boy chimed in.

"Will he require your assistance?" I asked her. She spun around to look at me.

"Not that he'd ever admit, but yes."

"Then go. I assure you the Titans only want to see Robin safely returned. If you can assist him there is no reason to remain behind. We will not attempt to interfere."

Her eyes narrowed as if she did not believe me. I kept my face impassive, waiting until she realized I meant what I said. A small smile graced her mouth and for that split second I saw past the cold exterior to the young girl beneath the mask. She breathed a small breath of gratitude before she went sprinting off after Batman. Unlike him she did not bother to conceal her exit with a display of smoke.

"I take it you have a plan," said Cyborg softly once he was certain she was gone. I nodded briskly and moved to inspect the open window through which Batgirl had climbed out.

"I promised I would not do the interfering."

"So what are we doing?" Raven asked, coming to stand beside me.

"We are going to infiltrate the Batcave."


	13. Chapter 13

"Uh...Star? Not to burst your bubble or anything, but how are we supposed to find the Bat Cave? Every criminal in this city has been searching for it since Batman first showed his face. No one knows where it is."

"Robin knows," I said simply. Beast Boy looked at Raven as if for permission.

"Well unless you can just reach inside his mind and pull out the coordinates that doesn't do us any good."

"Friends, the Batman and Batgirl do not wish for us to be here. When they rescue Robin do you think they will bring him back here to be cared for? Have they given any indication that they desire our presence at all? No. They will rescue him and take him to the Batcave and leave us to do the fretting and worrying because we are not members of the great Bat-family." My speech ran away from me and when I did the coming up for air the others were giving me strange looks.

"Don't get me wrong Star, I totally want to break into the Bat Cave with you, but Cyborg's right. We'll never find it and Batman'll kill us if he finds us in it."

"We may not know where the Bat Cave is, but we do know Robin. Even he admits that he shares many of his mentor's tendencies, and who designed the entrances to the Tower? Robin. Who selected the safe houses, Robin. Why would he not replicate the same strategy for us that worked before while he was younger? Do we not all follow similar patterns that have proven effective in the past?" I spoke over my shoulder, looking out the window at the dark night. Gotham's skyscrapers were lit up and beautiful, but it did no disguise the danger that lurked in the shadows. I could feel the evil in the air, sensed the danger that festered just below the surface. It was like being on the Gordanian's home world. Cyborg came to stand beside me.

"We get what you're trying to say, baby girl, but the Bat Cave is the world's best kept secret. Our big, yellow T on an island in the middle of the harbor isn't exactly designed to fade into the background."

"Starfire's right," Raven spoke up. "Batman doesn't want us here, but Robin is wounded and I'm the only one with healing powers. I doubt he'll thank me for this, but...I know who he is." The words hung in the air without meaning. Who he is? He is Robin. Who else could he be? Beast Boy was the first to recover. He gave an exaggerated shake of his head and narrowed his eyes at her.

"How?"

"Telepath, remember? I've been insude his mind before. I swore I would keep what I learned a secret, but I think Starfire's right."

"So who is he?" Beast Boy demanded eagerly. Raven narrowed her eyes.

"I swore I would not tell. But it's easy enough to figure out. Think of his fighting style, where does he draw most of the inspiration for his moves from?"

"I don't know," said Beast Boy, shrugging. Cyborg smacked the back of his head.

"He's an acrobat. He's always trying to show off how many back handsprings or whatever they're called that he can do."

"Right, and who is a famous acrobat who retired around the same time Robin first appeared that just so happens to be Robin's age?" She spoke slowly as if speaking to infants. I had no guesses. My knowledge of humans was limited and I knew very little beyond the scope of Jump City. Cyborg and Beast Boy looked at each other, waiting for the other to make the first guess. Raven rolled her eyes.

"The only acrobats I can think of were the...what were they called? The Flaming Grays? The Flying Grandsons?"

"Dude, you mean the Flying Graysons? I managed to catch a live broadcast of one of their shows once while my parents and I were in Africa. They were the best."

"Yea, it's a shame about their accident..."

Raven waited with an eyebrow raised in a please-tell-me-you-are-not-really-this-stupid expression. For once I was not the one made to feel ignorant for being the last one to understand what everyone else already knew. Beast Boy threw back his head and laughed

"You're trying to tell me you think Robin is really Dick Grayson in disguise? Please, Raven! When was the last time you picked up a magazine? Grayson's too busy dating supermodels and counting his money to be Robin. I know they call him the Boy Wonder but when would he find the time? He was just in the papers last week in some scandal with a couple of Brazilian bikini models. And where was Robin...?" He waved his hand as though the answer was obvious, but in truth it was not. None of us knew what Robin had been doing.

"I don't know, where was Robin last week?" I did not like what she was insinuating. Even I had seen the tabloid covers that Beast Boy spoke of and the thought of Robin doing the things this Dick Grayson was accused of made my heart hurt. Robin was not the sort of man to use women so freely or so carelessly. Clearly I was no alone in y doubts.

"I thought BB was the one who came up with crazy theories. You really think that _Robin_, aka Mr. Don't Stop 'Til the Job Gets Done, took a break from fighting the Joker and Harley Quinn to fly to _Brazil_ for a hot date with a couple of bikini models?" When Cyborg repeated it, it truly did sound foolish.

"Do you think his gadgets just come out of thin air? It takes money to afford all that technology. Dick Grayson is the heir to the Wayne Empire. Wayne Industries has an entire division devoted to applied sciences and advanced weapons technology. It's a multibillion dollar corporation that funnels it's money straight into Bruce Wayne's pocket."

"And next you're going to tell me that Bruce Wayne is Batman," Cyborg laughed. Raven sent him a look of such unbridled meaning that even he had to wipe the smile from his face.

I knew of Bruce Wayne. On rare occasions he traveled to Jump City. He was a wealthy philanthropist who funded many charitable foundations in our city and others. Robin often complained about having to make appearances at certain functions where Mr. Wayne was going to be present because he had given an enormous grant to the city to help fund the completion of our tower. Twice I had an occasion to meet the man. He was taller than me with blue eyes and dark hair. He had been handsome by the human standards I had come to know, but his hands had lingered a little too long on the small of my back when we had posed for a picture and Robin had been quick to pull me away, muttering about the 'playboys' and their games. It was difficult to match the flirtatious man I had met on those occasions with the imposing figure that had just left. But perhaps that was the point.

"i suspect Raven is right," I said as Beast Boy and Cyborg continued to look doubtful. "It does appear to be the most logical thing."

"It still doesn't help us break into the Bat Cave or get any closer to getting Robin out of Joker's hands."

"I gave my word that I would not interfere with Robin's rescue," I said with a little flinch. Studiously I had avoided looking in the direction of the cameras that were still pulled up on the screen. Batgirl had been kind enough to leave us a means to observe the events as they unfolded even as she denied us the right to assist. Cyborg glanced over at them and I saw his face blanch. Terror curdled in my stomach and against my better judgment I turned.

Joker had a crowbar and was swinging it wildly at the prone figure lying on the floor. if Batman and Batgirl were not already there they would be too late before the damage was irreparable even for Raven.

One of Joker's men ran up and tapped him on the shoulder. He froze, the crowbar raised high above his head as he listened to whatever the man said into his ear. He twisted behind him to look and on a different screen I saw that there were several large barrels being assembled by more of his men. Joker's lips stretched in a wide smile. I was able to read the 'thank you,' that he gave to his man before he brought the crowbar down on his head, presumably for interrupting him. Then he dropped his weapon, smoothed out his blood-splattered suit, and casually walked over to where Robin lay facedown on the ground.

**Robin's Point of View**

_Argh...Keep breathing...Ungh...don't give...up...hnngh!_ I'd lost count of the bones he'd broken. File the pain away. You couldn't escape it but you could push through it. Bruce could anyway. If I held out long enough someone would find me.

_Crack!_ Another rib... Can't breathe now... This isn't looking good. The drugs are still in my system. I can't get up...can't fight. I'm going to die without lifting a finger to stop it. _Thwack_! That was my kneecap. _Careful Dick, he likes it when you scream. See, he's aiming for the other one now..._

There was a pause, a glorious pause. Why was I still conscious? I lay facedown on cold cement feeling blood trickle out from too many wounds to mention. One of Joker's men was speaking in that low excited whisper they all had. They were afraid of him. Can't say that I blame them. He scares the hell out of me too. Fortunately, I don't think I'll live long enough to have nightmares this time...

"The Bat's headed this way. The girl's with him. The timer's all set, Boss. What'cha want us to do?"

"Ah, thank you, Mickey." There was a metallic twang as Joker brought his crowbar down on Mickey's head so hard that he dropped like a stone. _See...he's unconscious. Get it together, Grayson he's coming back._ Long fingers curled in the ripped fabric of my black cape and lifted my head and shoulders from the ground. Dried blood peeled back from my face as it left the floor. Agony ricochetted through me as he gave me an experimental shake.

"I can't say how happy I am to see you again, little bird. But it seems our fun's just about at an end. Batsy's just around the corner now and I want to be there when he sees his little friend explode into a million pieces." He grabbed my jaw and wrenched my head around so that it was pointed in the direction of ten barrels arranged like bowling pins rigged to explode. "Aw don't look so down, Robin. Think of it like fireworks at you're big homecoming party. Nothing ike going out with a bang, eh?" He released me and I flopped back down in the pool of my own blood. The floor vibrated as his men hurried to the exits. Harley's stilettos clicked across the floor.

"It's been real, bird-man, but we gotta fly. Gotsta get good seats to watch the grand finale." She squatted down and ran her fingers through my hair in an oddly maternal gesture, as though she was tucking a child into bed. It sent shivers down my spine.

"Don't worry, boy," Joker said from the dark shadows of the doorway. "Batsy and I will be joining you real soon." the door slammed behind him. I was left with the ticking of the timer on the bomb. I couldn't move. I couldn't even drag myself to the door in the hopes they had left it unlocked. I was just going to lie there drinking in my own blood with each breath until the bomb went off. I closed my eyes. The pain was easier to ignore now. It was a dull, angry cocoon, but my mind was drifting and what did it really matter now anyway? I expected my life to flash before my eyes, but my mind was oddly blank. Ten more seconds... I should have listened to Starfire when she warned me I was walking into a trap... Nine more seconds... I should have stayed with my team instead of trying to take him on by myself. Eight seconds... Why do I always do that? Why do I always think I can handle it? When have I ever been able to handle it...? Six seconds... I should have kissed Starfire. Five seconds. I mean we did once, but that doesn't count. Four seconds. I never told her how beautiful I think she is. Three seconds. I never let her see the real me... Two seconds. If Bruce were here he'd kill me. One second...

The explosion rocked the building. I felt the heat sweeping toward me and through my closed eyelids I saw the blinding fireball take me.


	14. Chapter 14

**Starfire's Point of View**

I barely managed to wrap my arms around him before the bomb detonated. I curled myself around his body as the force of the blast propelled us through brick walls I only just managed to weaken with my eye beams before we slammed into them. I flew at my top speed, getting us away from the epicenter, but it was not fast enough to save even me from emerging unscathed. My skin sang with burns across my legs and arms.

"Robin? Robin!"

The fires were far behind us and I allowed myself to slow to a hover to finally inspect him. It was several moments before I realized the keening wail in my ears was actually me. Tears overflowed and my flight wavered precariously.

"Robin? Robin, you must answer me," I said, moving one arm behind him to support him while the other traced the purple swellings on his cheek. "You are in pain but I have come to take you to a place of safety. Do you hear me? You will give me the sign, yes?" So many injuries. His right wrist was badly broken. One kneecap was smashed and covered with blood. The strong handsome face looked as though it belonged yoa monster. His mask was askew but it hardly mattered anymore.

He needed Raven. Now!

"R-Raven," I sniffled into my communicator. His chest did not rise or fall. His eyes were shut and swollen to narrow slits. "Raven, I have him," I said, getting myself under control.

"Starfire, you need to get down here fast. Everyone thinks he was in the building when it blew. Batman's gone after Joker..."

"Raven." My voice broke and I hugged Robin's limp body and my communicator tight to my chest.

"Azar..."

"H-he is..." I could not say it. I was a warrior. I had been on the fields of battle before and I knew what the face of death truly looked like. I would not delude myself. "I will return with him shortly." It was hard to find the happiness to fly us back, to return to the scene where I had found him. It was all ablaze now. The warehouse was a twisted heap of melted metal and ash. I fell the last five feet, cradling him safely against me. The Titans were there. They took one look at me and knew. Beast Boy morphed into a lion and roared, Cyborg came over and helped me lay him on the ground. Raven held back, her violet eyes wide with shock.

"Do not worry," I said sadly. "Not even your powers can bring him back from this. I do not expect it of you."

"Robin!" Batgirl dropped from a nearby rooftop to run to his side. I watched numbly as she pressed her fingers against his neck in search of a pulse. Tears fell freely from her eyes, sliding over her mask to drop onto his chest. Behind us I heard a snarl of such unbridled rage that I did not need to look to know who had uttered it.

"Hee Hee Hee! you mean I actually did it! I actually killed the bird?" His voice rang out, that hateful, horrible voice. My hands curled into claws.

"YOU!"

"Starfire, wait!" Raven called, but it was too late. I flung a starbolt at him. I did not care that he and Batman were locked nearly nose to nose while Batman lifted him by the front of his jacket to pummel him. The starbolt struck them both, but Batman's cape was made of the same material as Robin's and he quickly pulled it around himself to deflect the damage. Joker flew back into a stack of crates that wobbled precariously. I flew at him, determined to make him pay for what he had done. My fingers closed around his throat and squeezed. No. A quick death was too good for the likes of him. He bared his teeth at me in a smile of sickening sweetness.

"Do it, doll face. You know you want to."

"No!" Something hard and metallic struck my cheek and I released him out of shock. Batman's foot collided with my hip, knocking me away from Joker. I staggered, shocked that he would protect the villain who had killed his own son. "He is mine," he growled at me. Joker rolled his eyes.

"Oh please, Batsy. We all know you lack conviction. Legs, on the other hand, now she looks like a girl who knows how to commit." Joker dragged his yellow eyes up from my toes to my waist in a way that made me wish I could scrub the flesh from my bones.

"Joker is mine," Batman repeated. I glared at him. How dare he think he held prior claim. Robin belonged to the Titans. We were a family. We loved him. Batman had beaten him down and driven him away. It was Batman who had instilled the need to prove himself alone that had gotten Robin killed.

"Will you let him live after what he has done? Will you send him back to his prison knowing that he will only do the breaking out and return to torment us again? When does it end? When will the lives of the innocent be worth more than the life of a criminal? On my planet it is not weakness to destroy our enemies. It is considered a strength. When I came to Earth I accepted Robin's rule never to kill. I understood that everyone must be given an opportunity to change, to have a new beginning. The Titans were formed because each of us sought a new beginning when we could easily have chosen to continue down our separate paths of darkness. But there will always be those who do not wish to change. There will always be those who need to die to keep the rest of the world safe. I will destroy him if you cannot, and if that means I must be branded no better than he is that is a price I will accept. _Get out of my way._" I raised my hand out in front of me and conjured a starbolt. Batman did not move. His face was a mask of anguish, but there was no yielding in his dark eyes.

"Starfire, stop!"

Arms grabbed me from behind as Beast Boy tackled me. I locked my legs so that we did not fall, but he did manage to shift my aim enough that Batman had time to move. There was a hissing sound and black smoke covered the corner where he and Joker stood. I heard more insane laughter, followed by a blow that mercilessly rendered the deranged clown silent. When the smoke cleared, Batman and Joker were gone.

"Why did you stop me?" I wailed, rounding on Beast Boy. "I could have avenged him!"

"You know why," he shouted back at me. "Do you think this is what he would want?" His eyes were red from his tears. His voice cracked. I fell to my knees, wrapping my arms around his legs. He sank down so that we embraced each other.

"One, two, three!" Cyborg's voice as followed by a thump. Looking over I saw him working with Batgirl and Raven to channel energy from a modified version of his sonic cannon into Robin's chest. Batgirl leaned over him and gave two quick pumps on his chest.

"Again," Raven said gravely. Her eyes glowed white and she held her arms over his body as though casting a net over him.

"One, two, three!" Robin's body jerked as Cyborg sent another jolt into him.

"I've got a pulse!" cried Batgirl eagerly.

"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos." In a blink, Robin and Raven were gone, disappeared in a vortex of black smoke. Batgirl cried out in frustration and surprise. She looked at Cyborg.

"He's in good hands," he assured her in his deep, soothing voice. Wiping her eyes quickly on the back of her hand, Batgirl gave a brisk nod.

"Where has she taken him?" She was trying to sound composed, but her voice was uneven and ragged. Even from where I knelt I could see her chin quiver. Cyborg lowered his voice.

"The Bat Cave." Batgirl gasped.

"He told you?"

"No. We may not be part of the Bat Family, but the Titans are a family too. It's hard to keep secrets from family. Raven's the only one who knows where it is. Will you take us?" I envied his ability to remain calm in light of everything. I wanted to shake her and demand to be taken to him. Batgirl looked around to where Beast Boy and I were watching her, then down at the ground where Robin's blood had seeped into the road. She sniffed.

"Okay."

The familiarity of following a black-caped figure on a motorcycle through the streets brought an ache to my chest. As much as I wanted to pull out my communicator and ask Raven how Robin fared, I did not wish to distract her. Beast Boy rode with Batgirl on her bike while I carried Cyborg. She led us away from the heart of the city toward an enormous house situated on a hill overlooking Gotham. We did not go to the building however, but beyond it where a tunnel appeared leading underground. It was so like the hidden entrance to the tunnel beneath Jump City Harbor that my heart stuttered again with renewed pain. Xhal, let him survive this. If he does not, I am not certain that I will.

When we reached the Bat Cave i did not stop to admire the enormous computer screens or the various vehicles emblazoned with bat emblems. My focus was on the glass room straight ahead where I could see Raven bending over a figure and a white-haired man in a black suit standing opposite her. Hearing our approach, the elderly man straightened and quickly came out to greet us. Cyborg and I were closest and he dipped in a formal bow.

"She has managed to stabilize him for the moment, but his condition is still critical. She is doing everything she can to heal the damage done to his organs first. His collapsed lung gave her particular trouble." Considering the resistance with which Batman and Batgirl had greeted me, I was stunned by the man's directness. When I blinked in surprise, his mouth relaxed marginally into a smile.

"My name is, Alfred, Miss. I wish that we could have met under better circumstances. Master Richard speaks very highly of you."

"Master Richard?" I repeated uncertainly.

"Dick is short for Richard," Cyborg murmured behind me. "Don't ask me why. My god, he really is Dick Grayson."

"I thought dick was another term for-"

"Unfortunately," Alfred interrupted smoothly. His pencil mustache twitched, and I thought I saw the ghost of a smile on his pale face.

"Alfred, is he...?" Batgirl had reached us. She was looking past us to the glass room. She had removed her mask and I saw that she was older than I had expected. She was a young woman, twenty or twenty-one. Succinctly Alfred repeated the information he had given Cyborg and I. Batgirl paled even further so that her freckles stood out more sharply on her face. She covered her mouth with her hands and walked up to the glass to watch as Raven worked.

"Master Bruce?" Alfred pressed. She glanced over her shoulder to where Cyborg, Beast Boy, and I stood.

"He's dealing with Joker."

"You think that wise?" Alfred asked. His tone was even but I sensed his concern. Batgirl shrugged.

"If he kills him it'll do the world a big favor."

"I am inclined to agree, but I fear the effects such an act would have on his mental state." Batgirl shrugged again. Her attention was reserved for Robin and it was clear she could not be bothered with worrying about the consequences of Batman's actions. Cautiously, I walked over stand at the window beside her. Her breath hitched, but she did not turn. We stood there, looking in on the man we both cared for.

"He'll owe you his life if he survives this," she said softly.

"I merely got him away from the explosion. It was you and Cyborg and Raven who held him to this world." She looked at me then. At first there was suspicion in her gaze, but it softened when she saw I meant my words.

"He's going to make it. He's too stubborn to die."

I reached out and took her hand. She flinched, but she allowed the contact.

"Yes. I believe he does not know how to do the giving up."


	15. Chapter 15

There was only so much Raven could do. She was weakening. We all could see it, but she refused to stop. When Beast Boy suggested she rest, she wasted precious energy hurling him back through the door and slamming it shut behind him.

"Batman's heading this way," said Batgirl from the computer where she had retreated. Anxious looks were exchanged by all but me. I had seen the grief on his face and knew that our presence in the Bat Cave would be the least of his concerns. If anything, it would be keeping him from interfering with Raven's work.

"This may get ugly," murmured Alfred softly. All heads turned as the Batmobile screeched to a stop. The doors opened and Batman leapt from the driver's seat. He skidded to a halt when he saw the Titans assembled in front of him, then his eyes flew to the glass room where Raven worked.

"Status?" he barked.

"Stabilized, Sir," said Alfred at once. "Miss Raven has been working most diligently. There was extensive damage done to his internal organs. She says he has nearly been lost to us twice already." The only acknowledgement to this was a slight tightening around his eyes.

"And Joker?" Batgirl asked, though her tone suggested she did not care.

"Detained. Your father stopped me from beating him to death. He took him into custody."

_"You left him with my father?!"_

"He was in no condition to pose a problem." It chilled me how easily he dismissed her concerns. He walked up to the glass and stared at Robin stretched out on the table. Raven had bared him to the waist so she could see the extent of the damage. He was a mass of bruises and several ribs jutted at unnatural angles.

"How much longer can she keep t's up?" he asked quietly.

"Not long," said Cyborg. "But good luck telling her that. She threw us out the last time we tried." Batman sent a cold glare over his shoulder. I dare her to throw me out. He went to the door and shouldered it open. Raven barely looked up from where she was trying to mend the most obvious break in his ribs on the lower left side.

"You're done here. Alfred and I can manage for a while." She shook he head.

"This rib will puncture his lung again if I don't fix this."

"Fix it and then get out. You'll be no help to us if you run yourself dry."

"I will leave when I am finished," she growled. Red eyes blinked open on her forehead.

"Ten minutes, then I'm taking over here." He moved to stand on Robin's other side. She had done nothing to mend the cuts and bruises on his face and they had purples grotesquely. Batman stood perfectly still, and I gained a sudden insight into the man who had helped Robin become the hero that he was. He said nothing when he felt most deeply. It pained him as much or more than it hurt the a Titans to see him laid low, but he would betray nothing. There would be no tears or outpourings of grief from this man. If Robin thought he did not care, he was greatly mistaken.

i do believe they underestimated each other. Raven managed to repair two ribs and the collarbone before Batman bodily removed her from the room. He was successful only because she had no energy left to repel him with magic.

"Rest. We can take it from here." He deposited her on the ground outside the room where she swayed. Beast Boy steadied her with an arm around her waist. "All of you get some sleep," he added, scowling at us. Cyborg had no choice but to comply. He was sorely in need of the recharge. Beast Boy glanced at Raven questioning ly, but she shook her head and looked at me.

"You're burns. Let me-"

"Do not dare!" I said fiercely, stepping out of her reach. "They will be healed by morning. Batman is right. You need to rest."

She rolled her eyes. Alfred approached with a bow.

"Allow me to show you to a room." He offered to assist, but Beast Boy said, "S'okay, I got her." His hand tightened possessively around her waist, and I saw her hand lightly touch his chest before she moaned and pressed her fingers to her forehead. There was no more arguing after that.

"Barbara, go home and make sure your father didn't run into any trouble," barked Batman.

"But-"

"I'll call if there's any change." Her lips pressed together in a form line, but she did as he instructed, going off to change into her civilian attire. That left me alone with the Batman.

"I suppose I should thank you," he said gruffly with his back to me. "You were the only one who could have gotten to him in time."

"I wish I had been sooner," I mumbled. It was not because I sought to be comforted by him, I recognized that he was not a man to offer comfort in such times, but because it caused me physical pain to see how close we had come to losing Robin forever. Batman tensed and looked over his shoulder at me.

"He doesn't talik about you when he calls to check in. I hear all about Cyborg's upgrades, Raven's increased control, and even his frustration with Beast Boy but hardly a word about you."

"Oh," I said, doing the deflating. I did not understand his reasoning for wounding me so, but it hurt to know that Robin did not mention me to his father when they spoke. Surely our friendship warranted some acknowledgement. Despite myself, my head ducked.

"That tells me more than anything that would have come out of his mouth." He spoke in riddles now, or else I was simply too tired to comprehend.

"Ahem," said Alfred from the shadows where he had quietly reappeared.

"Miss Starfire, please allow me to show you to a room.". I wanted to refuse, but a glance at Batman's rigid profile and I knew I was not wanted or needed here.

"That would be most welcome."

I walked to his side, glancing back just once more. Did I think Robin would suddenly wake and call me back? It was so rare to see him damaged. He always insisted that he was the okay, and if medication was administered that made him drowsy then he forced himself to stay awaje by sheer stubbornness.

"Forgive me, Miss Starfire, but I couldn't help overhearing," said Alfred once we had stepped into an elevatoR and the doors closed behind us. "I wish to correct Master Bruce on one point. He does speak very highly of you. It is difficult for him to discuss matters of a personal nature with Master Wayne, but he has shared many things he has learned about your culture and planet. I understand you are of feline ancestry?"

"Yes," I replied not wishing to discuss Tamaran or lineages. "Why is it difficult to speak of me when he can talk about the others with him freely?"

"If I may be so bold, I believe your arrival on Earth left a lasting impression on him. The language transference you administered may well have been the first time he's ever been kissed. If his feelings go deeper for you than friendship he wouldn't wish for Master Bruce to know. There are...rules." He sighed heavily, giving me clear insight into his thoughts on the rules. The doors opened and I found myself in a room of such opulence that it frightened me.

"This is the family wing. It is completely shut off from the rest of the house. No one will see you here." Alfred walked out as if the glossy wood paneling and thick drapery were of no more interest than the dirty sneakers that littered the floor of Beast Boy's room.

"This is your home?"

"This is Master Wayne's home. I am merely a caretaker."

"He trusts you above all others. You are surely more than a k'norfka."

"Pardon?"

"On my planet k'norfka means caretaker," I explained, "though our k'norfkas are charged with the care of our children, not dwellings, though with such a palace I understand the need." He chuckled softly.

"Yes, I can see that you are a breath of fresh air." It was one of the sayings I did not understand. As it appeared to be a compliment I did not ask.

He led me from the room of sitting into a corridor. He paused and frowned.

"I hope I am not being presumptuous, but as Raven, Beast Boy, and Cyborg have taken the remaining three guest rooms in this wing there is no other place that would be near them in location." He led me to a door with a plaque engraved with a large D stood proudly at eye-level. I knew whose room this was immediately, and I was suddenly afraid to enter. Could I sleep there, surrounded by his scent? Would he find it an invasion of his privacy? Alfred did not seem to think so.

"There are other rooms of course, but this one is nearest your friends and the Cave. I can find you someplace else if you prefer," he said, reading my face well. I shook my head.

"I am just afraid," I admitted. Saying it out loud to this man did not feel like betraying a weakness. Alfred was kind, and he would listen without judgment.

"This has been a terrible time for us all, but he will pull through. Your friend's healing capabilities are extraordinary." He offered me a kind smile that I greatly appreciated. excusing himself, he left me to enter the room alone. It was nothing like what I expected. His room at the Tower was very bare, with his desk and bed being the only furniture. This room was as large as the kitchen with a great wooden bed that had four posts that reached nearly to the ceiling. Dark blue curtains surrounded it. There was a large television perched on top of an ornate dresser and two of the wardrobes that stood on either side of a closet the size of the my bathroom.

There were posters on the wall, all of a trio of figures in bright red, yellow, and green costumes similar to the one he wore as Robin. 'The Flying Graysons,' read the caption. The others had said that was s true name, Dick Grayson. These thorn were his parents. The woman was beautiful with curly red-brown hair and a wide smile that illuminated her face, and the man was very handsome with the strong jaw and black hair he shared with his son. They were gone, these smiling, happy people, and the boy with the wide grin from the poster had been taken in by the grim, brooding Batman.

"Robin," I murmured sadly. Did I even know him? I had learned so much about him since coming to Gotham about a life he had never mentioned. But then, I could not truly fault him for that. I shuddered to think of the way he would react upon hearing what I had withheld. But there was Batgirl and Alfred. Why had he never mentioned them? It seemed that Batgirl was aware of us. It troubled me thst she disliked me. There was much I felt I could learn from her, and not just about Robin. I was in short supply of the female companions and Raven did not enjoy the girly activities such as the painting of nails and consumption of chocolate as much as I did. I held little hope that Batgirl would accompany me to the mall of shopping. What was she to Robin? Her jealousy indicated something more than mere friends. It confused me, but I tried not to dwell on it. With Robin still clinging to life, such petty concerns seemed irrelevant.

I laid down on his bed and it smelled of him just as I thought it would. I inhaled deeply. With the scent of him wrapped around me like an embrace I gave in to the healing sleep I so desperately needed.


	16. Chapter 16

Robin's Point of View

It took a while for me to surface completely. I think Raven was using a spell to keep me under. I fought it of course, which meant that I trapped myself in a semi-conscious state while she worked on me, feeling my torn muscles knit back together, the tendons and ligaments fuse, and worst were the fractures that snapped into place. I couldn't move or speak thanks to her spell and so I lay in silent agony as my fractured cheekbone slid forward and realigned with the rest of my eye socket. How was I even alive? I took silent inventory of my injuries. Though she had healed the damage my nerves still sang with the pain of what had been done.

There were voices all around me. I couldn't open my eyes to see, but sometimes it sounded like I was in the infirmary in the Tower and others like I was back in the Bat Cave. I swear Barbara came in and pushed my hair back off my face. She's the only person besides my mother who ever did things like that. It was her way of establishing that I was just a kid while she was three years older when we used to banter back and forth in the old days. But then Babs would be gone and I'd feel this warmth on my face and catch a whiff of a familiar piña colada fragrance and knew that It couldn't have been Babs beside me. Maybe Raven was feeling extra maternal...? My head hurt too much trying to figure it out.

"It's been four days, why isn't he awake yet?"

That voice brought me all but fully alert. What the hell?

"Without my help he'd have been in a coma for weeks, if he survived that long," said Raven, and I could practically see the coolly smug look on her face that demanded recognition of her awesomeness.

"You said you've healed the worst of the damage," said Bruce. Did he sound...anxious?

"I'm keeping him under so that he won't undo my hard work by trying to do too much at once." She must have paused to make a face and turn toward me because her voice was marginally louder when she added, "But he's been fighting it off since yesterday."

"Let him wake," Batman commanded in a tone I remembered well. He expected instant compliance. To her credit, Raven took her time, but not even Raven was going to outright defy him.

It felt like invisible shackles unclamped from my mind. As soon as the spell lifted my eyes flew apart to see the fuzzy shapes of Batman and Raven leaning over me. Not the cheeriest welcome back committee a guy could hope for. My eyes slid from side to side in the hopes of catching a glimpse of long red hair, but I knew she wasn't there because she never would have kept quiet once she found out that I has been semiconscious for almost twenty-four hours.

"Was that your idea of having things under control?" Batman said stiffly. If I hadn't heard the worry in his voice from a moment ago I might have risen to the bait, but instead I settled back against my pillows and attempted to shrug.

"Yep. I had him right where I wanted him. I take it he's back in custody or you wouldn't be standing here like you've got nothing better to do." His mouth narrowed against what I suspected was a smile of relief. Nothing like a little normalcy after a crisis. He and I don't do sentiment. There's no, 'I thought I'd never see you again,' speeches in the Bat Cave, which was where I was-I recognized the medical bay. Nope, for us welcome back went something along the lines of, 'because you went and nearly got yourself killed I had to defeat the bad guy single-handedly _and_ come save your life,' followed by a quick, 'that was the plan all along. Thanks for following the script.' We may not have super powers but beware he spur ego. It's our greatest strength and weakness.

"But seriously, it's good to have you back,' he said uncharacteristically. My smile slipped. Well so much for normalcy. I saw him roll his eyes.

"I have video footage if you can't comprehend why your friends and I haven't left your side."

"Where is everyone?" Batman shrugged to say, as long as their out of my hair I don't care. From the doorway I heard the familiar sound of a throat being cleared.

"I believe to spare the changeling from suffering the wrath of your physician when his attempts to help proved more of a hindrance he has been relegated to the game room upstairs and Cyborg has accompanied him to ah, keep an eye on him." Alfred had mastered the unspoken word, and what he was really saying is that once Cyborg got a look at the movie theater that housed all of the video games, he'd been incapable of leaving. Well there was two down but what about...?

"Miss Gordon has classes this morning. I believe she will return sometime after three."

I didn't like that smug look on his face at all. I squirmed. Alfred knew entirely too much about everything, and damn him if he didn't like doling it out at a snail's pace. Was he really going to make me ask about Starfire? That subtle twitch of his mustache told me he was. If Batman wasn't standing at the foot of my bed I'd have found something lightweight to throw at him. A pillow maybe.

"And Starfire?" I asked, determined to keep my voice neutral. She would be frantic. Any time I was even scratched she was all over me. If I had been nearly killed I'm amazed they got her away from my side. Unless she was hurt too. Joker had teased me about going after 'the redhead' next. If Star was hurt and they werren't telling me...!

"Miss Starfire was quite distraught over your condition. Batman suggested sedating her-"

"What?!" I sat up so quickly my head spun and a throbbing thundered in my temples. Batman snorted. My whole face was pulsing now and I covered it with my hands.

"I thought it a bit calloused as well," said Alfred smoothly, enjoying himself. "We did give her some sleeping pills when she couldn't sleep the third night." It was hardly much better.

"Raven, you let them give Star sleeping pills?" My second mistake was using Starfire's nickname in front of Batman. I could feel disapproval gathering around him like storm clouds.

"She was worrying herself to death. I didn't have enough energy to spare to put a sleep spell on her."

"How long has she been asleep?"

"No more than eighteen hours, Master Robin. Miss Raven informed me of the side effects. I was instructed that concern was only necessary after twenty-four hours." Human medicine does a wonder on Starfire's system. Some things her metabolism burns right through and others hits her at triple force. Sleeping pills knock her out for days.

"It's a concern the moment she has a nightmare she can't wake up from," I said through gritted teeth. Once, when the tower was newly built Starfire had combined of not being able to sleep. Not knowing any better I suggested sleeping pills, though to be fair we looked at the ingredients together to make sure nothing was toxic for her. She'd fallen asleep almost instantly for thirty-six hours on the common room couch. I'd stayed up the next night when everyone else went to sleep and witnessed her thrashing around in a nightmare that had left her shaking and crying. I had to shake her as hard as I could to wake her up and the fear in her eyes had been so real I knew that whatever she'd seen had been based on memory rather than imagination. I never told her. She'd been groggy from the sleeping pills and I just told her I woke her because she'd overslept. With everything going on it was more than likely it would happen again.

"Where is she?"

"It doesn't matter. You're not going anywhere," said Batman flatly. Uh oh. I cringed, picturing the lecture building in his brain. Flexing my toes, I decided to test Raven's handiwork. She said the worst injuries were healed, and there weren't any casts.

WHAM. Black energy flattened me out on the bed.

"Batman's right. You need to rest."

"I've been asleep for four days," I protested.

"That's not what I would call restful."

"Raven." I'm not a telepath and I don't know how to project my thoughts to hers, but she was an empath and I knew she could feel everything that I was feeling. The anger, frustration, and panic. In front of Bruce it was the best I could manage. I needed to see Star, I needed to see that she was alright, and I needed her to know that I was okay. Raven knew why. All of the Titans knew why. Heck, by now Bruce probably knew why.

"Alfred, is there any way you can bring Starfire down here?" Raven asked with a faint roll of her eyes for me. _She's fine Robin. She's the one who flew in and saved you before the bomb went off. Save your worry for yourself. You're going to need it when Batman's relief wears off. _Ordinarily, I don't like having Raven's voice in my mind. I don't know how much she can see in there, but her message calmed me Enough to glance at Batman. His expression was severe. Had the relief run it's course already?_  
_

"I will have Misters Cyborg and Beast Boy assist me," said Alfred, slipping away. Underneath all that decorum I think he was skipping. It's one of his guilty pleasures I think riling up the bat boys when it c,e to our emotions. Of course, he knew as well as I did how Bruce felt about the whole dating a teammate thing, so I don't know what game he was playing by bringing my obvious feelings for Star front and center right now.

It took longer than I would have liked, but twenty minutes later Cyborg and Beast Boy arrived. Cy carried Starfire bridal style with her head pillowed on his metal chest and her knees curled up tight like a child's. There was a second cot up against the wall, but I shook my head and scooted aside so that Cyborg could put her next to me. By now Batman was a stone monument of disapproval. He was showing amazing restraint too, which meant that later I was in for a real doozy of a dressing down. I didn't care.

"Starfire? Wake up. Star?"

**Starfire's Point of View**

I was back in the Gordanian slave chamber when I heard Robin calling my name. I did not know what was a dream and what was real. Robin was hurt and could not be calling to me, but I clung to the sound of his voice, praying that it would leave me from the terrible nightmare.

"Starfire? Starfire!"

I woke to him shaking my shoulder, and when I opened my eyes his face was barely inches from mine.

"Robin? You are alive?"

"I'm fine. Star, why did you let them give you sleep medication? You know it's bad for you."

For some reason I found his concern highly amusing. After everything I had been through it was this that he wanted to discuss? Why did I prefer the sleep of oblivion when the alternative was watching every bruise and broken bone fade? I put my arms around his neck and, mindful of my strength, gently laid my head against his chest.

"It is glorious to have you awake again."

"D'aw, how sweet," Cyborg said loudly. "You guys going to make it official or are you going to keep up this whole 'we're just friends' charade?"

"It's not-"

"Now is not the time!" Batman's voice cut across us and I flinched. Robin's fingers tightened against my shoulder. I thought he was scolding us, but when I looked he had gone over to his enormous computer monitor.

"What?" Robin called over my head.

"There's been a breakout at Arkham," said Batman. I froze in dread. Was it truly not over?


	17. Chapter 17

"Titans!" Robin cried that familiar way that made my heart soar with purpose.

"Stand down!" Batman cut across him. "Joker is mine. You have all been through enough."

Beside me, Robin tensed, but I was close enough to hear his indrawn breath of pain. He was still healing. Accelerated healing leaves the body sore, as if you had endured an intense workout for days without rest. Despite his capacity to compartmentalize pain, Robin could not pretend he did not still feel the effects. Truly, I was grateful that he would not do the rushing out again so soon. I do not believe I could bear it if he was hurt again.

"Perhaps I can arrange some refreshments upstairs," Alfred offered. Cyborg and Beast Boy shrugged while Raven acknowledged that she would like some jasmine tea. Despite the break-out, Batman waited beside the cot on which Robin and I reclined. I do not know how I came to be there, but I had the feeling I had transgressed somehow, judging by the formidable scowl on Batman's face.

"You think just because I nearly watched you die I'm going to let this go?" he growled at Robin.

"I don't know-"

"Yes you do. Dick, we've talked about this." The use of his civilian name was jarring, highlighting everything I had not known about him until only days ago. Robin's fingers curled against me.

"Starfire and I are just friends."

"Right, and Selina only comes to the Manor to play checkers." Robin grimaced as though he had tasted something unpleasant. Batman looked between us and sighed. "You're eighteen. I can't control how you live your life, not that I ever did. Just know the risks you're taking by getting involved."

"You mean that I might actually be happy?"

"That one day your enemies will use her against you the way Joker used you against me." And with that he glided away to his monitors, leaving Robin and I to the small glass room. I could tell Batman's final words had struck the cord, because Robin sat up to watch him leave, looking past me as if he'd forgotten I was there. I didn't mind. It gave me the chance to look at him. His face was still badly bruised, but he was recognizable once more.

"What?" he asked without turning to look at me. I had forgotten how keen his peripheral vision was.

"I am merely looking at you."

"Like what you see?" The corner of his mouth lifted in a grin. Keeping a straight face I shook my head.

"No. I do not believe that purple suits you." He lifted a hand to the livid bruise on his right cheek which had been broken badly only yesterday. His expression faded.

"Yea, you're probably right. Purple definitely looks better on you." I blushed. I had never known Robin to be openly flirtatious. It would fade soon, but I would enjoy it while it lasted.

"So, about that night...how did I get out? I remember the timer running out and then..."

"I got to you just in time. Batman made us stay behind and we saw Joker arming the explosives. I had promised the Titans would not intervene, but I could not..." I buried my nose in his chest, ashamed of myself for betraying my weakness. He did something he had never done before and kissed the top of my head.

"Hey, you'll get no complaints from me."

I sniffled and burrowed closer.

"I thought I was too late."

"Starfire." He breathed my name as if the sound of it caused him pain. "Bruce is right. I shouldn't be doing this." My head came up so sharply I clipped the bottom of his chin with an audible click.

"Ow!" we said in unison, though it was not actually painful.

"You should not be doing what?"

"This. Us. When you love someone you give your enemies a weakness to exploit. I'm not saying I think think you're weak, but I think I am. If it had been the other way around and Joker had had you instead..." A violent shudder went through him. "But I can't help it. Lying here with you like this is the happiest I've been in a long time."

"But Joker has escaped and you are still not yourself," I babbled because I did not know how to respond to his open declaration. It was so unlike him. I could not be sure that he would not take back the words, and if I admitted my feelings as well it would be devastating. And yet, he just stared down at me.

"Joker is Batman's problem."

"What?" It was most unlike him, and yet it filled me with such joy that I began to float. He grinned again.

"You liked that! Let's see if I can make you fly." His head dipped down and his lips pressed against mine. I froze, unsure of how to respond. In a language transfer, the recipient does nothing. But this was different. His mouth clung and tasted mine with such glorious tenderness. His hand rose up to cup my shoulder and turn me against him. I moved eagerly, entranced by what he was doing.

"Come on, Star," he breathed. His eyes were closed and the words were soft like a plea. I closed my eyes and felt the sensations sweep through me. He shifted so that he was half over me and his mouth moved over mine gently and our noses brushed together.

"You have a room. Use it," called Batman irritably. We broke apart, and Robin laughed. It was such a carefree sound that even Batman turned around to look.

"I thought I wasn't allowed to get up."

"Apparently there's no controlling that." Robin flinched and the color drained from his face as his eyes flew to mine. At first I was confused by the fear I saw, and then I realized that Batman had done the playing on words and Robin was worried that I would catch it and he would have to explain it to me. I giggled.

"Your 'girlfriend' has super strength and flight. You'll be fine. Now get out."

"Consider this payback for all the times I walked up on you and Catwoman making out while we were on patrol." His mouth fastened to mine again, but this time it was only for show. I giggled again at his antics. We were still laughing when we heard the soft _clink_ of metal on the ground. Black smoke filled the glass room. Robin choked on his laughter, and wrapping my arms around him I flew us out of the medical bay to the elevator that would take us to the Manor.

"So what room did Alfred put you in?" Robin asked as we rode up in the elevator. He insisted that I set him on the ground. His ego could only stand so much, and being borne to his bedroom by his alien girlfriend was simply too much for him. The moment his feet took his weight he winced, but a couple of deep breaths later and there was no sign that he was in pain. One day I would ask him to show me how he managed to deal with it so effortlessly. Such a skill would have served me well years ago.

"Actually, he put me in your room," I said a little shyly. Robin went still as stone.

"Seriously?"

"Mmhmm. Now that you are awake and will be needing it yourself, I will ask that I be moved elsewhere."

"Don't worry about it. That room's more than big enough for the both of us. I'll sleep on the couch. It's bigger than my bed back at the Tower was anyway."

"But is that not inappropriate?"

"Alfred is the granddaddy of protocol and decorum. He knew exactly what he was doing when he put you in there. Besides, I think he gets a kick out of torturing me. Might as well humor him a little. I doubt he gets many chances to have his fun with cranky pants back there." He jerked his thumb over his shoulder to signify the Bat Cave.

"I believe he finds ways to keep himself amused when you are not around," I said thoughtfully. Alfred, I had noticed, did enjoy making the digs at Batman whenever possible. He seemed immensely pleased to have the Titans visiting the Manor, which was in complete contrast to Batman's disapproving demeanor.

"He'd have to. He's been with him since the beginning. He basically raised Bruce after his parents were killed."

"HIs parents were killed?" I repeated, a rush of sympathy sweeping through me. Robin ran a hand through his hair.

"Oh yea, I guess you wouldn't know about that. "When he was twelve his parents were shot coming out of a movie theater. He was there and saw it happen. It changed him. It made him the guy you just saw downstairs. Bruce Wayne, the suave charming billionaire, is just a front he puts on to hide who he really is. He was there the night my parents died. i don't know if you know who the Flying Graysons are, but we were acrobats. One night someone cut their ropes while we were performing and they fell to their deaths. Bruce was in the audience. I guess he saw a lot of himself in me that night and he decided to take me in."

"I am sorry for both of your losses. That must have been very difficult for you." By now we had emerged from the elevator and were walking down the hallway toward his room. Robin shrugged.

"We're alike in a lot of ways. If you ask Babs the only differences between us are our opinions." He winced as soon as he said her name. I did not react.

"I take it you met Babs?"

"She is the ex, yes?" He pushed open his door and held it open so I could walk through first. he made sure to shut it firmly before he continued. Old habits died hard, and one could never be sure where a cybernetic hearing device or a green fly could be lurking.

"Kind of. I guess. Not really. Babs was older than me. She used to tease me about it all the time and I guess because she was older I wanted to prove myself to her. She'd go out with regular Joes and after a few weeks they'd bore her because they'd never lived life the way we did. Heck, half the guys she used to go out with used to talk her to death about the latest stories about Batman and Robin in the paper. It used to drive her crazy that they wished they could be me, and it used to drive me nuts that she looked at me like I was just a little kid. But that's all it was really. We never went out. For a long time I thought that's what I wanted, but when I left, I realized that I didn't miss her as much as I'd thought I was going to. And then _you_ fell out of the sky." A warm smile touched his face at the memory. "At first I thought it was because you were beautiful that I couldn't think straight around you, so I hung around you all the time thinking I would get used to it. Then I thought I liked being with you because you made me feel useful and important every time you came to ask me to explain Earth and its ways to you. Somewhere in there I think I fell for you because you made me see a different world than I was used to. You live and thrive on sunlight, and Batman...well he's called the Dark Knight for a reason. You made me realize that I preferred the sun."

"Robin..." Tears were welling in my eyes at his sweet words. He blushed and ducked his head.

"I know, I pushed you away and pretended that we were just friends because for a long time I thought that was all we could be. Batman used to drill into our heads that teammates couldn't date because it would mess up the team's dynamic. But as time went on I realized that whether we went out or not, I was still going to worry about whether or not you were safe in battle. I was still going to get jealous every time another guy looked at you the wrong way. And I still die to kiss you every time you look at me the way you're looking at me right now."

"Robin, these words I have longed to hear from you for so long, but I must warn you. On my planet once a heart is given it can never be taken back. A Tamaranean's love is eternal. On Earth I have seen that sometimes this is not so. I could not face it if you were to grow tired of me." He nodded, absorbing that in his serious way.

"Starfire, when I wake up in the morning you're the first person I think about. I wonder whether you had pleasant dreams, I wonder what I can say to make you laugh, I wonder whether I'll get the chance to impress you during a mission. I've never felt like that before. These past few weeks have really hit home just how much I rely on you more than I've ever relied on anyone. I can't promise that this will last forever the way I know you want me to, but for this moment in time you are the only person I could ever picture in my future." He walked forward and cupped my hands in his. I was shaking, and yet the only thing tethering me to the ground were his two hands wrapped around mine.

There was a sharp knock on the door. Robin grimaced.

"Yes?"

"Urgent news," said Alfred in the most anxious tone I had heard him use yet. Robin released me to yank open the door. "It's Miss Gordon. She's in the hospital. She's been shot."

"What?" I gasped. Robin's expression grew grim.

"How bad?" he asked softly. Alfred swallowed with some difficulty.

"It's hard to say Sir. Shall I have a car brought around?"

"Not yet," said Robin, and I looked at him in shock. His face was gray. "Dick Grayson's supposed to be at some boarding school in Switzerland. I can't be seen in Gotham for at least another twelve hours." It pained him. Even behind the mask I saw how wide his eyes were with fear for his friend's life. I was afraid as well. We all knew who had done this.

"Where is he?" Robin asked quietly.

"He's gone to see Gordon. Apparently there was a message."

* * *

**A/N: it's been a while since my last author's note. I've been playing a little fast and loose with some well-known comic arcs. Thought I should mention that I don't own anything. I figured there needed to be just a little bit of lightheartedness for these two before I threw them back into the ring. They needed a chance to reconnect. In my head, Robin becomes less serious whenever he's at the Manor and he and Bruce aren't butting heads. He doesn't have to worry about being the leader since Batman's the one calling the shots and right now they're in agreement, so he's kicking back and relaxing like a kid home from college for the weekend. Too bad that lasted all of a couple of hours...**


	18. Chapter 18

**Robin's point of view**

The guilt was crushing. Joker was free, I was too weak to chase him, Babs was in a hospital, and there I was relieved that it hadn't been Star. Not that Babs life didn't matter, but the reaction wasn't the same. When Alfred told me she'd been shot it was like my insides turned to ice. It was the fear of not knowing how bad, bracing against the worst. I wanted Joker's head on a plate, I wanted him finally brought to the Justice he deserved, but really I just wanted the twelve hours to pass so I could go to the hospital and see for myself that she was okay. There was shock and guilt and anger, plenty of all three, but as Starfire passed into my peripheral vision I imagined Alfred telling me it was her in the hospital and my chest seized in instant denial.

I paced my room restlessly. I could contribute nothing in the Cave, and the others didn't know her. They'd feel bad, but they wouldn't get it. Heck it was hard enough having Star with me. Worse maybe, because I wondered what she was thinking. I was angry and muttering death threats to Joker under my breath. I needed to punch something, but my body wasn't up for that sort of physical activity yet.

"I should see if Raven can do anything about the bruising on my face," I mumbled. If Dick Grayson turned up in Gotham after three years away with a black and swollen eye it would make international headlines.

"What can I do?" asked Star in a soft voice. She looked so uncertain.

"Wait here for me, Star," I mumbled. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

Raven did what she could for me. It hurt...a lot...but I sort of embraced it this time. By the time she was done the swelling and bruising in my face had vanished. All of the nerves and muscles were on fire, and even the slightest expression sent off a flare, but that was okay. I wouldn't be smiling anytime soon.

"We should go with you," said Cyborg as I turned to go. "You know this is probably a trap."

"The Titans can't be seen with Dick Grayson," I said without emotion. He needed to understand that this was my life. This was what it meant to be Robin. When he and Beast Boy complained about how much easier the life of a hero was for me because I looked normal, and I blended in, I couldn't explain this part. If a Titan was shot there was nothing that stood in the team's way. But in Gotham, the secret came before everything else. For all I knew Babs was drawing her last breath and there I was at the Manor, obediently following the rules Bruce had set if this ever happened.

Alfred had a change of clothes ready for me, some prep school uniform. I rolled the white dress shirt up to my elbows and tugged the sweat ire vest over my head.

"Your hair, Sir," said Alfred when I came out of the side room where I had changed. I couldn't go back to mine and see Starfire's sad face. It just made everything worse. It had been days since the last time I'd had gel in my hair, but since it had been days since my last proper shower my hair was a rat nest. The only way to fix it was with a quick trip to the nearest sink where I could just rinse it out as best I could. Without a comb to style it, it all just flopped in my face, long enough to fall into my eyes now. Whatever.

A,fred drove me himself to the hospital. Naturally Babs had been taken to the Wayne Wing, and the moment they saw me the nurses flew over themselves to get to me.

"Barbara Gordon, how is she?" I didn't waste time on charm. It would only make the intern in front of me's eyes flutter. Instead, her expression shut down guiltily.

"I'm afraid I can only release that information to her direct relatives, Mr. Grayson, sir." It was absurd that she called me Sir when she was at least five years older. Money and fame were ridiculously powerful tools. I glowered at her.

"I've known that girl in there since we were kids. I'm not asking for a complete update I just want to know if she's alive."

"I've been asked not to speak to anyone, sir." She cowered. I braced my hands on either side of the desk, taking several slow, deep breaths. I'm not sure whether it was the look on my face or her obvious attraction to it, but she glanced around furtively and leaned toward me.

"The doctors are doing the best they can. I'll have her surgeon come speak with you when she's out of surgery."

Surgery?

"Thanks." I tried to smile, but the combination of pain and frustration probably made it look more like a scowl. Her lashes fluttered anyway, so it must have been close enough. I took a corner seat in the waiting room and put on my shades. The media would be here soon. The girl at the counter was probably snapping my picture with her phone and texting it to everyone she knew. With what little time I had I pulled out the smartphone I kept on me in my civilian attire.

"What's the wifi password?" I called to the intern, holding my phone high so she could see it. She stopped mid sentence with the person who had stood after me in line to answer.

"Got it, thanks," I called. It took only seconds for me to hack the network. I wasn't exactly dealing with Batcave level firewalls. Once into the network, I searched for Babs' info. To the casual observer I looked like I was merely browsing news articles. But it didn't take even a casual observer to notice when I found what I was looking for. The blood drained from my face and the phone fell out of my suddenly nerveless fingers.

Bullet to the spine. Spinal cord severed. Will likely never walk again.

I sat in blind silence. She was paralyzed. Paralyzed. Her life as a crime fighter was... What could she do? Her days as Batgirl were over. I put my head in my hands and concentrated every fiber of my mind on holding the tears back.

Raven couldn't save her. Her magic can only accelerate healing. Spinal injuries were permanent, and even if she could, she'd need to be at full strength to try, and after the past week I knew she didn't have it in her. Just healing my face had left her swaying. Babs was never going to walk again and it was all my fault. I'd had Joker in my hands and gotten careless. This was payback for thwarting his plan to kill me. It was because of me. Me and Bruce. Always us. And now it was up to us, the Dynamic Duo, to see him behind bars forever.

Beep beep. I'd forwarded my communicator to my smartphone in the car. It was from Raven. Could she read my emotions from this far away?

"Grayson," I answered, giving her a subtle reminder to use my civilian identity. She wasn't stupid, but it's harder than you think to change what you call someone at the drop of a hat.

"Dick, where's...your girlfriend?" Despite everything, that one little word stitched a thread of amazement into the blanket of grief that was smothering me. It was short-lived though. I narrowed my eyes.

"Why?"

"She's not in the Manor. I can't..._find_ her." That meant she couldn't sense her aura. Starfire was gone.

No. She couldn't do this to me. Not now. Not when I was dealing with this. Where the hell would she even go?

"Starfire," I growled under my breath. It was a risk, because there were about five people in the waiting room pretending not to be eavesdropping on me.

"I can't leave. Babs is in trouble. It's bad."

"Where do you think she could be?"

"I have no idea, Ra-chel, I invented to cover my near mistake. I could practically feel her rolling her eyes. "Find her. Call me the minute you hear from her."

"Okay. And Robin?" I winced. "She's going to be fine."

"I can't lose them both," I said. I didn't mean to say it, but it was true. Babs was bad enough. If Joker hurt Starfire I'd kill him. Already my fingers were clenching at the thought. I itched to put on my uniform and go after her. What was she doing? I told her to stay put. Why did she never listen? Starfire!

* * *

**A/N:** Sorry, shorter than usual, but it was the best place to break up what's coming.


	19. Chapter 19

I heard nothing. The doctor came and told me what I'd already found out about Babs, but there was no word from Raven. I was led down the hallway to the room Babs had been brought to. She looked like a shadow of herself, pale and small against the plump pillows. Bruce's money was the only reason they'd let me in, and I took the seat by her bed. I glanced at my phone. No missed calls. Sighing, I slipped it into my pocket and reached forward to take her hand. What was I supposed to say to her? How did you tell your best friend they'd never walk again? Where was her father?

I felt a hot prickle in the back of my eyes.

"Babs, I'm so sorry," I murmured, running my thumb over the back of her hand. It wasn't enough, not for either of us. I looked into her face and was surprised by the changes that had taken place over the last three years. Her cheeks were leaner, the bone structure more prominent and pale after surgery. Her freckles stood out more than usual. Her hair was a rusty copper shade of orange. Once I would have done just about anything to get her to notice me. I'd shown off in combat, saved her more times than I could count, and challenged her knowledge in just about every subject Bruce made us learn. She was always smarter, but it burned her that a 'kid' could keep up with her. In the field it was the opposite. Batman and I, as much as I hate to say it, were born to fight side by side. She found a place and held her own, but it was never as seamless as when he and I worked by ourselves. It didn't come second nature to her. Her motivation was different.

Where the hell was Starfire? I couldn't leave Babs. What if she woke up and no one was here? Maybe she'd understand that we were hunting down the man that had done this to her, but to wake up from that alone and to find out she'd never walk again? At least until Gordon got here. And where was he? His daughter was in the hospital and he hadn't come? Clearing my throat, I fished my phone out of my pocket.

"Alfred, where's Gordon, he should be here."

"I haven't been able to contact him, and the Master has gone offline." He paused, and I could hear him gathering his breath. "Miss Gordon. How is she?"

"The bullet severed her spine. She'll never walk again." I pictured the scene, him sneaking up on her from behind and firing before she even had the chance to turn around. How had he done it? Bruce had all but crippled him after what he did to me. Babs' senses should have warned her in time to get out of the way. The Bat Family was paranoid by nature, we always know what's in our surroundings. How could he have surprised her like that? Alfred made a single soft noise, quickly stifled.

"Good God," he murmured.

"My friends. Any news?" It was difficult having this conversation out in the open where anyone might hear. It was harder considering none of the Titans had alter egos I could call them, or if they did we'd never shared them. Obvious Cyborg had a name before he became what he was now, but for three years he had always been Cyborg, or Cy, just as I was only Robin. Come to think of it, what was Starfire's Tamaranean name? When we met she just said Starfire was a direct translation, but that didn't mean it was the same thing. Alfred gathered himself together.

"They have been unable to locate her. She seems to have vanished without a trace. I will of course alert you the moment she is found." His steady voice brought me out of my circular thoughts. How could these two completely different women leave me in such a tailspin? Now I understood why Bruce warned me against getting involved with teammates. This was harder than I'd ever imagined. I felt lost and helpless, and the person I usually turned to was the one I was desperately hoping to find.

"How could she do this, Alfred? How could she go out there now, after this?"

"I cannot say, Sir." His voice was sad, though whether it was about Starfire or Babs I didn't know. Poor Alfred. It must be hard to be left behind, unable to do anything to protect us as we faced down our deaths night after night. He was always just there with whatever we needed.

"There is one more thing to consider, Sir," he said with some reluctance.

"Yea?"

"Was this act targeted at Batman or Gordon?"

"I've been trying not to think of that," I admitted. I prayed it was the worst coincidence in history that Joker broke out of Arkham and happened to attack Babs in her civilian identity. If not, then he knew who she was, and if he guessed Babs was Batgirl, then he could guess who all of us were. But why would he target Gordon when everything so far had been aimed at Batman and me? Why was he at his house? This was all connected somehow. First me, and now Babs. What did he want?

"Alfred, she can't wake up alone, but my team needs me. They don't know this city."

"I will wait with her, Sir. If she wakes I will make certain she knows it was a matter of dire importance."

He was waiting in the car downstairs. It would take only minutes for us to switch places. The hospital would accept him if I pushed hard enough. I was pretty sure they'd all put on bunny costumes if they thought it would keep me and my bank account happy.

I went to meet Alfred in the waiting room. The receptionist looked conflicted until she saw me and perked right up.

"I have some errands to run. This is my butler, Alfred Pennyworth, and he's going to sit with Ms. Gordon until I come back or her father gets here." I didn't need the Batglare for this girl. Heck, I barely needed a firm tone the way she was hanging on my every word, but I didn't smile or wink. My mind was on another girl who was going to have hell to pay when I caught up with her.

I rode the elevator down to the garage, my fingers itching to pull out my phone to get another update from Raven, but I didn't risk it in plane sight of security cameras. Every second of footage featuring Dick Grayson in Gotham was scrutinized pixel by pixel to find out what I did with myself. No way was I letting some security guard with sharp eyes read my contact list or watch me dial up a member of my team. That would have to wait until I was back in the car. I walked toward the Lamborghini at a brisk trot, not wanting to draw attention, but needing to get to it as fast as possible.

"Raven," I said as I transferred the call to wireless the moment I started the car.

"No, Robin. I don't have an update." She sounded pissy now. Well two could play at that game. I was pissy too. I smacked the steering wheel with the heel of my hand.

"What have you been doing? You mean to tell me you can't find her energy signature _anywhere_?" She paused, and I pictured her looking at her communicator with a look of disgust mixed with disbelief that I would use that tone with her. Everyone likes to say that Starfire's the one who gets away with everything around me, but Raven gets a pretty blank slate too seeing as she'll send me through a portal to hell if I tick her off. Starfire craves approval, and I just don't have to say anything to her To get her to correct herself. If she thinks she's disappointed me then she fixes whatever mistake she might have made on her own. In the beginning I think she was so afraid of disappointing us because she thought we would kick her off the team and she'd have nowhere else to go. Obviously she's gotten over that or else she'd never be out doing God knows what in Gotham tonight.

"When was the last time you tried to find one aura in a city of five-hundred thousand? You think she's the only bubbly personality on the planet?"

"Send me your coordinates, I'm coming to meet you."

"No. You need to rest. The rest of us can handle this."

"Obviously not," I snapped, ending the call with a stab of my finger on the screen. I didn't need her coordinates, I already had a tracker on her communicator, a fact they ll knew. First I needed to stop at the cave and get a fresh uniform. Besides I needed to take a look around to make sure Star hadn't left any clues behind that the others had missed.

"I don't know what you think you're doing Star, but you better not be doing what I think you are," I muttered aloud as I drove the Lamborghini through the heavy traffic.

A geyser of green energy shot into the sky. I could see it between the skyscrapers as I drove through downtown. I nearly rear-ended the car in front of me going through the intersection as I rubber-necked to figure out where it had come from. from the direction, Crime Alley.

"Damn it!" I hissed, slapping the steering wheel again. I needed my uniform and I needed it now. "You better be okay, Star. Hang on until the others get there." Gritting my teeth I punched the stealth button in the car that let me slip past speed scanners undetected. The cops would see me, but the cameras didn't pick me up and the readers wouldn't register anything out of the ordinary as I slammed my foot to the floor.

* * *

**A/N: **These past couple of chapters are shorter than I like, but I've sat on this one long enough. Next up is a bit of action. Promise.


	20. Chapter 20

**Starfire's Point of View**

Batman lay on his side clutching his ribs where Harley had hit him with her hammer. Harley stood defensively beside the Joker, who was on the ground. His left leg was bent at a disturbing angle, but he seemed oblivious to any pain it was causing him. His hideous smile was stretched in delight as he looked at Batman. I stood between them, one hand holding a starbolt poised to fire while the other pointed toward the sky from the beacon I had sent to alert the others.

"Where's your sense of humor, Batsy? Gordon stood there and did nothing while you broke my leg and there was nothing you could do when I broke his daughter's." Batman made a grunting noise, his anger a living thing in the alleyway as he fought to control it.

"She'll never walk again," he ground out. My heart stopped in my chest. It was not often that Tamaraneans experienced injuries damaging enough to leave us paralyzed, and Robin had informed me on numerous occasions just how fragile human bodies were by comparison, but I had not considered... How terrible!

"Don't worry Bats, I'm sure dear old daddy will love having his little girl depend on him for everything again. Why, she's just like a baby now. He'll have to feed her, and bathe her, and change her. And one day, she may even learn to crawl!" He laughed. Harley, for the first time did not look as amused as he was.

"But Puddin', I thought you said Gordon was gonna' die. Then who's gonna' take care of her? It ain't right leaving some poor girl all alone and defenseless in a city like this."

"Can it, Harley!" Joker snapped, and all of the laughter was gone to be replaced by menace that chilled me to the bones. Harley shrank back in genuine fear. Had she truly given her heart to this poor excuse for a human? I flexed my fingers to summon a starbolt, but Batman caught my eye and shook his head. Right, the others were coming. We needed to stall them.

"But Sweetie, what if we took her in. I always wanted a little girl I could dress up and play with." Now all eyes turned to her. Even Joker looked shocked by the suggestion, and he snatched the mallet from her to swing it at her, but froze.

"You know what, that's not a bad idea. Imagine, me, helping to shape the next generation. I like it!" He dropped the weapon, and Harley let out a sigh of relief. My stomach clenched in disgust.

There was a whistling sound, and before I could react, Batman had flung a batarang that embedded in Joker's thigh. He howled, but it ended on a gasping chuckle. He waved one finger tauntingly.

"Naughty naughty. Have a taste of your own medicine." He reached into his pocket and threw something small and bronze. It landed near me and familiar green gas hissed out. My eyes were already watering by the time I got into the air. Without me to separate them, Batman lunged for the other two. Blinking furiously so that I could aim, I threw a giant starbolt into the alley between them. Batman roared and spun away, the edges of his cape smoking.

"Stay out of this!" He threw a smoke bomb into the air that exploded near my feet, blocking my view of the scene. I dove, but he was already feet from Joker, preparing to jump. Harley swung her mallet and caught him full in the back, batting him into the wall. With a bit of fancy acrobatics she somersaulted over him and kicked him in the head. The mallet swung once, twice. He lifted his arms to protect his head, but she managed to swing in under him and hit him full in the abdominals.

"Stop this!" I shouted, swooping down to pull the weapon from her hands. Hands grabbed the ends of my hair and yanked me right out of the air. Joker rolled so that he sat astride me. He leered with deadly promise, and I bucked hard.

"Would the lady like a flower?" He touched the flower tucked into the front of his striped purple jacket, and boiling green poison splashed my face.

Screaming and flailing, I grabbed the front of his shirt and flung him away, not caring how hard or how far I threw him. There was a crash, but I didn't care. My face felt as though it was melting off my bones.

"And here I was starting to like you, toots, but nobody does that to Mista' J!" I heard Harley say above me before something hard smashed onto my stomach. I tried to fly but couldn't feel anything beyond the pain. I blocked my face with my hands but it didn't stop the fire from eating me alive. She swung again, but I heard a zipping sound before the mallet was pulled from her hands. She spun around, but saw nothing. I rolled onto all fours, struggling to assess the new threat. When the attack came, it came from above, a figure in red and green and yellow dropping out of the shadows like he was born in them. He flipped once and his feet struck Harley in the chest, propelling her backwards. Then, I heard a familiar roar as a green lion went chasing after her. Harley shrieked in terror.

"Cyborg, over here." Raven's presence was soothing in spite of the pain. She helped guide me over to where Cyborg was prying open a fire hydrant. Water gushed out and I plunged my hands into the stream to splash my face over and over. Mcyborg rubbed my shoulder, murmuring soothing words. Raven stood guard, though Beast Boy had Harley well-occupied.

Then there were gloved hands, turning and tilting my face up. The worst of the burning was gone, though my eyes still felt aflame. Robin's mask came into focus as he crashed his forehead to mine in relief.

"Don't ever do that to me again," he murmured, holding the back of my head as he nuzzled his cheek against mine.

"Apologies, but he meant to kill him. I could not allow him to break the code."

"Starfire," he groaned. It felt glorious to have him so near, to feel his heart thudding against mine and to know that it beat so frantically because he cared for me. I had not intended to do the disobeying of him, but when he left me to visit Babs in the hospital I felt restless and required something useful to do. So I went to the Batcave. I did not seek out Raven because I did not wish her to misinterpret my conflicted emotions regarding Robin and Batgirl.

"What?! Robin! You're supposed to be dead," Joker exclaimed. Robin withdrew from my side and stood slowly to face him, giving him the opportunity to see him whole and hale.

"So are you, but life's never fair, is it?"

Joker hung from Batman's fist, half-dragging on the ground. At Robin's words he grinned.

"Ain't it the truth," he agreed. Batman shook him and pulled out his grappling gun. Robin took a step forward.

"You're sure you've got this?"

Batman didn't answer. Instead, he fired the gun, and he and Joker zipped away into the night. Robin scowled and then looked over his shoulder to where Beast Boy was returning carrying Harley by the back of her absurd costume, holding her with his teeth. She was trembling and sobbing with fear.

"He's gonna' eat me! Do something!"

"See that she finds her way back to Arkham." The lion nodded and Harley wailed again. "Come on." Heavily, Robin reached out his hand to pull me to my feet.

"Where are we going?" I sensed his anger just below the surface. I had known he would be upset when he found out I had gotten involved against his wishes. He stared into my face with an intensity I had never seen before. I did not know whether to be intimidated or flattered.

"Someone has to find Gordon. Raven, we'll probably need you for this." He didn't take my hand, but he stayed so close that our arms brushed at every step. Cyborg fixed the hydrant and called the police on his arm.

"I'll stay with BB, and we'll meet you up." He sent me a questioning look and I gave him the thumbs up to tell him that I was feeling better. Robin didn't wait for me before he strode off toward the end of the alley. Raven hesitated, glanced from him to me, and followed.

"Robin, I-" I started to say, but he held up a hand and tapped a small earpiece I had not noticed.

"Any news on Gordon?"

He kept his hand raised as if that would keep me from asking questions. His expression grew grim.

"His house? You're sure? No. We're only a couple of blocks over." He tapped the earpiece again.

"Who was that?"

"Alfred. The last place Gordon's been sighted was at his house when they found his daughter. We'll start by going there." It would be hard for him to go there knowing what had taken place, knowing that his friend had been hurt there. I knew how his mind worked. He would feel the guilt and remorse until he could not see past it to the truth.

The alley reached a dead end. Robin tilted back his head to judge the rusted balconies and broken windows for footholds to let him scale the wall.

"Here." I offered my hand, but he ignored it and reached into his utility belt for his grappling gun. He did not look at me as he fired it into the darkness overhead and whooshed up from the ground. I hung back, his rejection worse than a physical blow. Raven moved closer to me.

"It's not just you, Star. He's trying not to feel anything right now when he's feeling everything at once." She glided up after him and meekly I followed suit. He was watching from the edge of the building, balancing on the balls of his feet. He looked away as soon as our eyes met and a sinking sensation nearly caused me to loose control of my flight.

Not now, I told myself. The mission came first, and right now we had to find Barbara's father.


	21. Chapter 21

The house was not far. It was a small brick building with dark blue shutters. Yards of the yellow crime tape were stretched in strange geometric patterns around the perimeter. I glanced at Robin. His face was determined, but I could see his hands trembling with barely suppressed rage.

"Raven or I could go in if-"

"You won't know what to look for," he cut me off without looking at me. Then he strode forward, lifting a line of yellow tape to approach the front door. Raven put a hand on my shoulder.

"Don't push him right now, Star. He's barely holding it together." I felt the rush of indignation that she felt the need to tell me this, as though I could not see for myself that all was not right with him. And why was I being cautioned not to push? I meant only to help. If one of my teammates had suffered what Barbara Gordon had suffered I would not wish to investigate the crime scene myself. There would be too many emotions and I would surely miss some clue because of the overwhelming guilt and anger I would feel at the ones who had done this. Not to mention that Robin had suffered from the same hands that had fired the gun at his friend. It was not normal that he should be so calm in the face of it. Not even Batman was able to keep his head clear under such strain.

"Joker's a real piece of work," Raven murmured, hugging her cloak tight around her. "I can still feel him here, the evil."

"Do you sense the man we are looking for?"

"If you want a bloodhound call Beast Boy," she snapped, and that told me the answer was no. It bothered Raven more than she liked to admit when the innocent were hurt and there was nothing we could do to prevent it. This was the first time Robin had brought us to a crime scene of this nature. In Jump we responded to attacks from the super-powered humans, threats that the police could not fight off themselves. What crimes we solved were typically cases about break-ins and robberies. There was nothing the Titans could do at a murder scene. The police never called us to those crimes. I think it was because they thought to protect us from seeing that side of crime. In that respect we were still children in their eyes. They could not know that I had seen enough death and despair to fill a battlefield. Robin too must have seen his fair share of the dead and dying in this place of hopelessness. Raven though had come to us from the monastery where she had grown up. For her this was new.

"The man that did this was brought to justice. He cannot hurt anyone else where he is."

"I know that," she said, disgruntled at being read so easily by me. She does not see the irony in how her powers enable her to know what we think or feel and yet she gets upset when we are able to do the same with her. "I can feel their pain."

"Gordon's?"

"No, well yes, but Robin too. It's worse than the evil Joker left."

"We should go in," I suggested. If Robin's grief was so great that Raven could not process it, then he did not need to be alone just now. I grabbed her arm and pulled her into the darkened house. I wanted to call for Robin, but the house was so silent and dark that I did not, afraid of the echo in such an empty place. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a flicker of movement, and I raised a starbolt instinctively. It was only the edge of Robin's cape as he stepped halfway into the hallway. Slowly, Raven and I approached. He didn't look at us. In attention was fixed on a wide, thick puddle of dark liquid on the ground.

"She didn't even have the chance to fight him off," he said unexpectedly. His voice was little more than a growl of sound. "He shot her in the back like a coward and left her here to bleed out." I could not bear the pain in his voice. I wrapped my arms around him from behind. He tensed and ducked out of my embrace angrily.

"No!" He turned and scowled at Raven, whose eyes were glowing white. She looked between him and me and then went back outside to give us the space. As soon as she was gone, Robin grabbed my wrist and pulled me against him, crushing his lips to mine in a swift, fierce kiss before pulling back just as quickly. I swayed, dazed by the conflicting feelings of anger and elation.

"How could you do that, Starfire? How could you put yourself in danger after _this_? Do you know what he could have done to you? Do you know what he _would_ have done?"

"Robin, I have already explained-"

"I don't care if Batman breaks every rule he's ever set down in his big black bat manual. I don't! I asked you to do one thing, and that was to stay safe while I was gone, and you just threw it out the window the moment my back was turned." His voice was rising as he paced back and forth in front of me like the large striped feline I had seen Beast Boy transform into on occasion. Tears began to blur my eyes. He had never yelled at me this way before.

"I did not expect that you would be so angry with me..."

"What _did_ you expect?!" He jabbed his finger at the pool of blood on the ground. "For_ two hours_ I waited for Raven to tell me that they'd found your broken body just like hers because you went off on your own without telling anyone when you had no business leaving. Gotham isn't Jump. There are places that you can't go. The criminals here make Jump City's look like preschoolers. Joker wouldn't have thought twice about killing you. He'd torture you first and get it on film to torture me with the same way he let Batman see what he was doing when he was beating me with that crowbar. How could you put me through that?"

"My apologies!" I shouted back. My hands balled into fists of shame and rage that he would twist my actions so horribly. He had no right to yell at me over behavior that would have been perfectly acceptable back home. It did not matter if Gotham was more dangerous than Jump. I was a Titan and it was my job to uphold the code that prevented us from taking the lives of our enemies out of vengeance. When he was calmer he would see that. Why did he behave as though I was incapable of defending myself? Was I not a Tamaranean warrior who had studied every form of combat and self-defense known to my people since I was old enough to hold a spear? How dare he question me!

"Why is it you are allowed to run off and risk your life when it suits you, but I am not? You refused to allow the Titans to assist you while we were in Jump. We wanted to help you, but you went off to your secret hiding places and left us to fend for ourselves. Did you think that was easy for us? And yet you think to question _me_ when I decide that I am perfectly capable of joining your former mentor to capture the criminal that lacks the superpowers capable of doing me permanent injury? You cannot have it both ways!"

"I was wrong to go off on my own. I've already admitted to that. And so were you. Why didn't you call the Titans to back you up?"

"I do not know!" My voice wavered and the fight went out of me as i contemplated my answer. "I do not," I repeated, softer. "I have never seen you like this, not even with Slade. You are hurting and I can do nothing to stop it. I thought..." His chest rose and fell in deep, angry breaths, discouraging me from continuing, but I persevered. "I thought if I could put him behind bars then it would be one less thing for you to worry about. Please Robin, I do not like it when we fight. You know it was not my intention to cause you worry."

He continued to glare at me for a long moment, and then the tension left him with a shudder. He opened his arms and pulled me close.

"I know, Star. But you can't do things like that. I've lost too many people to that man. I couldn't bear it if he took you away."

"Believe me, Robin. I have survived much worse than the Joker. I am not going anywhere." I rested my cheek on the top of his head. His arms came around my waist and he held me so tightly it was difficult to breathe. He did not weep, though I would not have blamed him. But we stood there for a while, holding each other.

"Gordon's still out there somewhere," he said, clearing his throat. I nodded.

"Do you have any leads?"

"No. If there were any clues then either the police or Batman got to them first."

"Is it possible that Batman has already located him?"

"Alfred would have told me. He can't be far."

"Actually," Raven's voice drifted back from the front door, "he may have just been found." She walked back to us, ignoring our close embrace. She held out her communicator which showed Beast Boy's anxious expression on the small screen.

"Hey guys, according to the cops that just took Harley Quinn, Commissioner Gordon was just found in an alleyway not far from here. They've already taken him to the hospital."

"Are you sure?" Robin asked, pinching the bridge of his nose. "There's a lot of crooked cops in this town."

"Cyborg just pulled up the news station and that's what they're saying."

"Good." Robin relaxed against me. "Thanks for all your help guys. I'll see you back at the Bat Cave." Raven ended the call and Robin and I looked at each other.

"Do you wish to go to the hospital again?"

"What, and leave you on your own so you can decide to run off to the mall or some other ridiculous place while I'm gone? No. I'll go back in the morning." He tapped a button on his utility belt. "Do you want a ride back?" I nodded. After the harsh words, I wanted to feel the closeness that riding with him on the R-cycle would bring. Raven grunted.

"I guess I'll just go get the guys like a good little school bus driver," she said, her voice dripping sarcasm.

"If you wouldn't mind," said Robin, with a hint of playfulness. She paused and tilted her head to the side, considering the two of us.

"You're good for each other. I'm glad you finally came to your senses." With that, she disappeared in a black raven of power. Robin sighed and pulled me in for another hug.

"Starfire, about that kiss, I didn't mean to be presumptuous or anything. I just got caught up in the moment. I realize that came off a little possessive, and I-"

"You never need to apologize for kissing me, Robin. I have waited years for the kisses and I enjoy each and every one, no matter how it does the coming off. Perhaps when we are back..." I nearly slipped up and said at the Manor, "you can demonstrate how you wished to have come off." He grinned.

"Deal."

* * *

**A/N: okay, so they've been through a lot and Robin's been under a lot of strain in this story. I prefer reading stories where both sides have a reason to be right and a reason to be wrong in an argument instead of one-sidedness. So hopefully it came across this way. I haven't said it in a while, but I really do appreciate all the lovely reviews this story has been getting, and I'm glad that the friendship between the teammates other than Robin and Starfire is coming across. Giving all five characters time to shine is a difficult balancing act that I don't think I always manage, but I'm glad that the moment between Cyborg and Star in the last chapter was appreciated. **


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